The expectation was that each year will bring another kit filled with prototypes and regular production cigars. This time around Johnsons moved away from what they have done for the past 3 years and brought to the table three sets of 5 cigars. Some, if not all, will agree that the Saints & Sinners 2014 kit is the best yet.

This week we are photographing and reviewing the Federal Cigar 93rd Anniversary Reserve No. 2 - the latest exclusive 6 x 52 box-pressed torpedo for the Federal Cigar (*New Hampshire-based chain owned by Rick Gadway). This year’s commemorative cigar comes from well respected Oliva Cigar Company and has mysterious ties to Oliva Master Blends 1 and Oliva Master Blends 2. In addition, the Federal Cigar 93rd Anniversary Reserve No. 2 has been sitting on the shelf as a potential project for the past ~10 years. It will be available for purchase on March 15th, 2014 at the Federal Cigar’s 93rd Anniversary Party.

With the looming 93rd Anniversary of Federal Cigar in New Hampshire, let’s take a look at this year’s commemorative cigar. First off, when I heard that this year’s cigar was going to be a “found” stick from the Oliva aging vault, my ears perked up. I mean, come on, an Oliva from the early Master Blends years? 10-11 years of sleep? Sign me up. Let’s begin. The most distinct aspect of this cigar is its look. A gorgeous, sandy brown sun grown wrapper with very minimal veins. The slight press is very attractive as well. An obvious difference, this year, is that they labeled it with a custom Federal Cigar band, which is very well done.

A ¼ inch cut gives way to a perfect draw for my liking. Just a slight tug. The cold draw is very mild with subtle barnyard notes. The light up is toasty and slightly creamy. A nice punchy spice on the retrohale. Half an inch in, there isn’t any change on what comes across the palate. Still very toasty and slightly creamy. The retrohale is where all the action is so far. The spice has stepped back just a little, but still has a little punch to it. It’s been backed up by a nice cedar bouquet. The finish has the softest touch of mocha to it and a faint clove spice. So far the burn is razor sharp and the ash is fairly even, pale gray with just a few dark spots. Passed the first inch, the upfront flavors are starting to pick up some steam. The toasty notes have shifted slightly to a breadier flavor. That clove spice from the finish has pushed its way more toward the front. The mouth feel has a very fine, silky grit to it; the kind that makes you want to keep sliding your tongue across the roof of your mouth. I am a cedar junkie and this cigar is delivering right now. The retrohale spice has toned way down and the cedar has come way up and has developed a slightly honeyed sweetness. This, combined with the bready and creamy characters, are really making a harmonious combination. After the halfway mark, black pepper is picking up across the palate and stays fairly distinct through the finish. It’s an interesting addition to the other flavors that have been coming through, which have stayed consistent at this point. Thus far, the cigar has been fairly firm to the touch. Now that I am coming into the finale the temperature is starting to rise a bit and the cigar has softened just a little. Not objectionable at this point. However, as the cigar has progressed, the spice has shot up and has a little bite to it. Again, not objectionable for me, but I could see many people ending the smoke at this point.

To close I will say that this cigar was very good. It was solid medium strength and full flavored throughout. I would suspect that in its early days, this cigar had some pretty good kick to it. Subtle hints of that still remain, but 10-11 years of age have tamed it down. It’s an aesthetically beautiful cigar from head to toe. Construction, draw, and burn were all near perfect. I prime example of the quality that Oliva has been, and is still able, to deliver. Until next time, happy smoking.

The expectation was / is that each year will bring another kit filled with prototypes and regular production cigars. This week CigarPhoto is delivering an exclusive overview of the Saints & Sinners 2013 kit. In addition to prototypes and exclusive blends, Johnsons included the following regular releases in 2013 kit:

Tatuaje Regios Reserva 2013

Tatuaje Noella Reserva 2013

Tatuaje Belle Encre

Tatuaje Bon Chasseur

Tatuaje Black CG 2013

Tatuaje Cohete

La Dueña

L’Atelier Extension de la Racine

For an annual registration fee of $150, each member will receive: 1. Exclusive, one-off products available only to members (select products may not be available for purchase through the S&S webstore)
2. Everyday Tatuaje branded merchandise at the Saints & Sinners discounted club rate.
3. Access to members-only forums, where you can discuss the finer points of cigars, smoking accessories, spirits, and anything else associated with the Saints & Sinners lifestyle.
4. Access to the Pete Johnson video blog. Here, Pete will update members on everything PJHC. Watch Pete as he travels around the world, visiting his production facility in Nicaragua, engages fans on cigar tours, and dishes on anything else he feels his Saints & Sinners family should know.
5. First looks at new cigar blends, swag, as well as insider info on Tatuaje and other Pete Johnson brands.
6. The knowledge that a portion of your annual membership fee will go to an eclectic mix of charities that Pete chooses for their commitment to their particular cause.

This week we are photographing and reviewing the BOTL 2013 – a corona gorda made by theDrew EstateforBOTL.orgonline community. The BOTL 2013, a follow-up to well received BOTL 2012 lancero (also made by the Drew Estate), was a limited run and was sold exclusively through online retailerPodman Cigars(* notice Podwika’s signature on the box).

Prelight: Underneath the muted brown and cream BOTL band emerges some sexy! A quick look reveals a somewhat rough triple cap which is concealed quite well by the dark and mottled appearance of the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper: classic spectral shades of brown and inky black with seductive subtle reddish hues. There is a uniform fine tooth and no real appreciable oils. The seams are tight, the pack is very firm, and there is one large palpable vein running the length of the cigar. Off the wrapper … straight tobacco and barnyard. Off the foot… it’s raisin, plum, molasses and dark chocolate … very sweet. The cold draw delivers raisin, milk chocolate and a touch of pepper.

Draw: perfect, comfortable and even throughout. I was a bit concerned prior to the cut/light, as the cigar felt very densely packed.

Flavors: On the first few draws, I was struck with a big pepper blast that hits hard and then almost immediately fades out and lingers toward the back of the palate. There is a core of earth, dark chocolate, and very mild cedar that emerge. The opening is a little sharp and astringent: I get red chile/cayenne on the tip of my tongue and black pepper on the back of the palate and the retro. There is massive smoke … classic DE and very Liga-esque. The initial intense spice is drying on the palate. As I get a bit further into the 1st third, the cedar becomes more evident and there is a sweetness starting to emerge, but my tongue is still a little spice shocked and won’t let it develop in it’s entirety. Just prior to hitting the 2nd third, the acidic/zesty chile and the ruddy/bold black pepper finally find balance with a rich molasses sweetness … and the transition gives up wonderful cinnamon notes that complement the dark chocolate and mild cedar perfectly. Into the 2nd third, the spice on the back of the palate fades out completely. The strength and natural sweetness of the broadleaf are in full effect now. The smoke has become much denser and creamier on the palate. Cinnamon, black tea, and rich coffee notes act to accent a solid core of dark chocolate, mild cedar, and that gritty Broadleaf sweetness. The final third is wonderful: cinnamon, cedar and chocolate. The spice is a distant memory…the smoke is creamy and rich with a huge mouth feel. Overall, the body and strength remained medium plus/full minus throughout.

Burn: A little wavy at times, but straightened out on its own with only one minor touch up. The ash was a ribbed white/grey: dense, tight, and solid.

Construction: Excellent throughout

Descriptive Adjectives: Mayan Hot Chocolate!

Box worthy: Start scouring the secondary market. Should age very well.

Overall: Initial intense diverging spices marry with an escalating sweetness to allow distinct balanced transitions. A bit of a roller-coaster! It was like Santa Fe collided with Hershey Pa!

This week we are photographing and reviewing the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro - the latest project from the Oliva Cigar Company and a follow-up to well received Oliva Serie V Melanio (ecuadorian sumatra wrapper).

For starters, this cigar is aesthetically gorgeous. A smooth, dark chocolate wrapper with minimal veins and a beautiful box press. A sniff of the foot gives off a rich, sweet tobacco aroma. I used an angle cut, taking off about a 1/3 of an inch. Too snug. Took off about another 1/8 of an inch. We’ll see how it works out. Putting the cigar in my mouth to take a cold draw was instantly like chocolate hitting my lips. Very mild flavor on the cold draw, but a sweet richness is definitely there. Let’s put some fire to this stick.

Right away I’m hit with a boldness that I was not expecting. I can already tell that this is vastly different from its regular Melanio counterpart. A very smooth, but slightly gritty, feeling coats my palate. A powerful spice comes through on the retrohale. The aftertaste, crazy as it might sound, reminds me of Andes mint chocolates. Now don’t go taking this seriously. I don’t mean it literally tastes like chocolate mint. Just a subtle, rich, cocoa undertone with a slight effervescence to it. This combination makes me reminiscent of the holidays at my parent’s house as a kid eating handfuls of those candies. About 3/4 of an inch in, a slightly woody note comes through. I can’t quite pinpoint it. Sometimes it tastes like cedar and sometimes like oak. Both are enjoyable. At the inch mark, the burn has gone slightly crooked but has been almost razor straight up until now. Nothing to cry about. (side note: The draw has been perfect for me. Just enough tug for my liking.) That woody note I mentioned has gone full blown cedar, which I love. And the richness has gone the route of a slight mocha flavor. The retrohale spice is still present, but very toned down.

At the 1/3 mark, a strong, roasted coffee bean note has popped up with just a touch of cream in the aftertaste. Pretty consistent coming to the halfway mark. But now, a very slow and steady retrohale gives off a subtle, sweet clove spice. Into the final 1/3, the upfront flavor has turned to a dark, bitter espresso with a spice that tingles the tip of my tongue. The smoke has gotten very chewy and that prominent richness has taken a backseat in the aftertaste. This is pretty consistent through the finish with the exception of a smokey, toasty characteristic.

Final thoughts: I was very pleased, overall, with this cigar. Much more so than when I first smoked the original Melanio, which had to grow on me. I think the finish could benefit from a little age, but I’d certainly recommend this cigar. Happy smoking my friends.

This week we are photographing and reviewing theSencillo Black Short Churchill- a collaboration between Nestor Plasencia Jr. and Keith K. Park introduced to the market in March of 2010. According to Keith K. Park, Founder and CEO of Prometheus International, Inc. and God of Fire, Inc., “Nestor and I had been talking about doing a project together for many years. When we decided to add a Nicaraguan blend to our brand portfolio, Nestor and I worked on the Sencillo Black blend together for over a year. We are going to age Sencillo Black for 6 months or longer in order to deliver a more polished and flavorful taste to our customers.” The first batch of Sencillo Black was shipped to the authorized Sencillo dealers in June 2011.

Prelight: At first glance, my attention is focused on the embossed silver “S” stamped on the contrasting linen white and glossy, jet black band. It screams … formal … black tie … name on a list … event! Underneath the vest is a very attractive dark chocolate habano Colorado wrapper. There is a uniform and ultrafine tooth with scant oils that give it the feel of 180 grit sandpaper and a silky, burnished appearance. The seams are tight, there are no palpable veins, and the pack is firm throughout. Off the foot, it wreaks of barnyard. The cold draw yields straight tobacco, leather, earth and some subtle winey notes. She looks so refined and proper…….but she gives subtle hints………she has a wild side!

Draw: Comfortable and even throughout

Flavors: There is an initial muffled spice that is quickly overtaken by a dense core of deep, moist earth, glove leather, and mild cedar. The smoke is thick on the palate … you can cut it. There are distinct dark chocolate, coffee, and burnt toffee notes that find perfect balance and roll into a long, rich, creamy finish. At the midway point, the flavors transition a bit. The coffee fades and the burnt toffee exits to reveal the subtle complexity of stone fruits. There are jammy plum notes and a dark cherry twang that plays well with the gritty Mexican viso. The finish remains consistent throughout: long, dense, rich and smooth … almost honeyed. Although the mouth feel is huge, the body/strength remains a medium minus to solid medium. It is so smooth, balanced, and refined that I could see myself smoking it almost anytime. It would be right at home as a first smoke of the day, but it definitely has the shoulders to stand up to a single malt after a big meal.

Burn: Excellent. One touch up on each of the cigars I smoked. The burn line was a little wavy, but now where near wonky. The ash was flakey salt and pepper and flowered on the second cigar before the first drop. Burn rate and temperature were perfect. Smoke production was definitely above average. Total smoke time was 1 hour 25 minutes.

Construction: Excellent throughout.

Descriptive Adjectives: voluptuous … think red velvet cake!

Box Worthy: No question. The quality/complexity to price point ratio make it a clear winner.

Overall: Quite frankly … shocked! “Sencillo”, Spanish for simple, is anything but. This blend is a harmonious marriage of quality tobacco from different growing regions, each showcasing the attributes specific to the respective terroir. A distinctive, polished, and well-balanced flavor profile makes it complex … but not confusing. The long velvety finish will invite you back to the party!

The concept didn’t change. The ‘JJ for JJ Day’ is a global movement initiated via social media to honor the memory of the ‘Little Robusto.’ For those of you who are not familiar with this tribute, ‘Little Robusto’, who passed away at the age of 3.5months fromSudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS), is the son of recognized and respected cigar blogger -Jerry Cruz(stogiereview.com). This special day is recognized by smoking a cigar made by Don Pepin Garcia, appropriately called ‘Series JJ.’

Take your time, enjoy your ‘Series JJ’ cigar and remember The ‘Little Robusto.’

This week we are photographing and reviewing the Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Petit Lancero prerelease. Antonio Lam of Reinado will be making a follow-up splash at this year’s IPCPR’13 by introducing additional vitolas to his popular Grand Empite Reserve line – Petit Lancero Limited Edition (6 x 38), Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46), and Toro (6 x 52). In addition, “couple months” after the IPCPR, Antonio will be releasing the Gordo size (6 x 60). When asked why Gordo is not coming out at the same time as the other 3 new vitolas, Antonio responded – “Blend needs work for the size. We want to be able to translate the essence of the GER notes as close as possible and don’t feel it is there yet.” So, there you have it. Four additional vitolas to the popular Elegidos (5 x 55) original release.

If you have enjoyed the flavor & performance of the Elegidos but prefer the lancero format, the Petit Lancero might be just what you have been waiting for. Keep in mind though, the Petit Lancero will be a limited edition – 10 count boxes (250 boxes total).

Pre-light: The cigar presents itself with an oily and attractive mocha brown maduro wrapper. It’s not as oily as the Elegidos, but it still exudes that sexy, velvety tactile experience. The palpable veins and ultra fine tooth create subtle color variations and accentuate deeper dark chocolate and reddish hews. Perfect symmetry: tight, crisp seems and evenly packed throughout. Off the foot, the pre-light aroma is gripping: huge plum, raisin and sweet tobacco. Way too sexy for the barnyard! The cold draw gives up more sweet tobacco and jammy notes balanced by earth and hints of leather.

Draw: Classic lancero: a little snug, but not uncomfortable.

Flavors: The lead in is an initial warm blast of red pepper spice(tip of the tongue) that commands your attention and gradually fades out into a wave of sweet cedar, dark chocolate, and moist earth, while soft wisps of leather try to emerge from the depths below. It’s a much more lively and spirited red pepper spice up front and on the retro hale when compared to the Elegidos. It may be petite, but it sure as hell is bold as brass coming out of the gates! Saucy……I like it!

The smoke starts off bright and sharp on the palate. There are delicate floral and herbal notes that unfold to soften the cedar edge. The core is earth and dark chocolate. The finish is long…….coffee, roast nuts, and soft leather. Getting into the second third, around the second ash drop, it is clear that act I has closed………but the show must go on.

A very interesting transition / transformation occurs: the smoke becomes much more dense and lush, yielding a bigger mouth feel on the palate. The crisp floral and herbal notes are put to rest and the overall texture gets much creamier. A distinct sweetness, not present at all in the 1st third, starts to reveal itself. It’s not the blackstrap molasses I get from the Elegidos. It is a lighter / less aggressive and more delicate sweetness … it’s honey! This in and of itself is worth the price of admission … but it’s not even close to the best part.

Simultaneously, as the mouth feel is becoming much more substantial and creamier, the warming sensation of the red pepper on the tip of my tongue changes dramatically! The honeyed sweetness builds and a particular floral note becomes readily apparent … it’s mint! On the tip of my tongue, throughout the second third of the cigar, a wonderful cool minty, fresh grated nutmeg spice led into a long, smooth finish of earth, coco, coffee, leather, and more roast nuts. The leather is more assertive throughout the remainder of the cigar and the mild cedar evolves into more of a toasted oak. The honey and mint mesh well and subtle graham cracker notes fleet in and out…… it’s truly a happily ever after moment going on here.

The strength and body build throughout the cigar. For me, it was a solid medium that developed into full throttle…..hitting the final third! The flavors are BIG and diverge and contrast at points, but are never conflicting or opposed. She will tangle you in an elaborate complex web. Damn….MORE please!!!

Overall: Another clear winner from Reinado. I love the GER blend and this vitola showcases it’s different characteristics and attributes extraordinarily well. When I was growing up my parents taught me if you were going to do something….do it right. This is a job well done…done right….. and not to be missed.

This week we are photographing and reviewing the Tatuaje Avion 2013 ‘Habano’ prerelease. Back in May of 2013 Pete Johnson of Tatuaje reported mid production change to the Avion 2013. Instead of using the Habano Ecuador wrapper, the official Avion 2013 will be wrapped in the Connecticut Broadleaf. For those who were excited about the Habano wrapper, there is good news. The Tatuaje Avion 2013 ‘Habano’ is now arriving at your local B&M as ‘limited’ release. Here is the breakdown:

Avion 13 Habano Ecuador (aka. Avion 13 FFs):

Habano Ecuador (wrapper), Nicaraguan binder & filler

6 7/8 x 52

bundles of 10 (total of 7,500 cigars)

LIMITED band

Avion 13 Connecticut Broadleaf Reserva:

Connecticut Broadleaf (wrapper), Nicaraguan binder & filler

6 7/8 x 52

Boxes of 20

2 bands - Standard Avion & Reserva

—–

The Tatuaje Avion 2013 ‘Habano’ is aesthetically perfect and the roll is firm to the touch. Wrapper is gorgeous with just a touch of a mottled look. Cutting a little more than a 1/4 inch reveals an impeccable draw. The cold draw allows flavors of strong tobacco and cayenne pepper to come on strong. Cayenne flavor without the spice. The initial light up gives off bold spice notes across the palate and in the retrohale. The aftertaste turns to a sweet, slightly creamy, cedar flavor. A full inch in, I am amazed how smooth this cigar is for being as fresh as it is. The spice really backed down quickly. (side note: As was expected with the perfecto shape, the burn started a bit crooked but evened out nicely.) The dominant flavor now is sweet, creamy cedar with a touch of toastiness in the aftertaste. There is also a wonderful effervescence on the retrohale. I’ve noticed this a lot in Tatuaje cigars. The way I’ve described it before is – menthol without the mint, just the cooling sensation.

Passing the 1/3 mark, a spice note has picked back up, both across the palate and in the retrohale. But more like a softer, white pepper spice. At the halfway mark, the spice is creeping up and intensifying. A subtle richness is starting to develop and is very enjoyable in the aftertaste, especially after the spicy retrohale. It’s a really enjoyable combination to get a creaminess across the palate, while getting an intense spice on the retrohale.

Coming into the final 1/3, there is a slight tingle on the tip of my tongue and a spicy heat in the back of my throat. I should have mentioned this sooner, but the cedar flavor basically disappeared going into the halfway mark. I would have liked to see it stick around, but I’m not complaining about the direction the smoke went. The effervescence I mentioned earlier has really intensified. It is certainly not unpleasant, but I might attribute it to the freshness of the cigar. Coming into the finish, the profile has remained fairly consistent. Spicy retrohale, creamy across the palate, and a nice richness in the aftertaste.

Final thoughts: I was amazed at how smooth this cigar was for how recently it was rolled. It was complex enough but with very discernable flavors. I see no issue with smoking these right out of the box upon release. However, I believe that putting some age on these will reward you handsomely. I know I will be smoking a lot of these! Happy smoking my friends!

This week we have something unique, literally. About two years ago, I reviewed Tatuaje ‘Pork Tenderloin’ and found it to be one of the best if not the best Tatuaje releases ever. Unfortunately the Pork Tenderloin is now long gone and can be found for premium through the secondary market. Well, to avoid spending a fortune, Steve decided to “build” his own ‘Pork Tenderloin’ by taking Tatuaje J21 and covering it with Connecticut Broadleaf using Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 Broadleaf wrapper. Below is Steve’s experiment.

——

Very shallow cut gives the perfect draw, just a little tug. Dry taste is of amazing tobacco and some sweetness from the broadleaf. As soon as I lit up, I was bombarded with flavor. Spice across the palate and through the nose, cedar sweetness, and an aftertaste of rich mocha/cocoa. Just ¼ inch in, the spice on the retrohale has significantly intensified, really pushing this smoke towards full bodied and definitely full flavored. Along with this, the cedar and mocha have started to blend together to really create an orgy in my olfactory senses. The smoke has a nice creamy feel to it and leaves me craving the next puff. The retrohale on this smoke may just be the best I have ever experienced. Normally I would expect to be hit with spice up front and then be left with a lingering aftertaste. This cigar has managed to blend it all together and give me everything up front on one dish. The spice, cedar, and rich mocha/cocoa have become one homogenous flavor!

A full inch in, and much to my pleasure, it’s burning almost razor straight (pat on the back for myself). The intensity of the spice has really stepped back, allowing for the sweet, creamy, richness of the cedar and mocha/cocoa to be dominant. Wow, what an unpredictable smoke. The very next puff I took smacked me with strong spice again on the retrohale! I’m going into sensory overload with this one and I love it! Literally, puff to puff, it’s like someone is playing with the volume knob on the spice. It’s a very unique and enjoyable experience. At the same time, the richness and sweetness of the broadleaf are really shining through. Just past the halfway mark, spice has maintained intensity for the past half inch or so. The richness is certainly still present; however, the cedar notes have shifted from a sweet to more woody. The lingering aftertaste has developed a subtle flavor of dark caramel. Imagine it as a caramel that was pushed just to the very limits, just before it was about to burn, but still left rich and sweet. This instantly reminded me of the Frank Jr. Coming into the finish, the profile is remaining consistent, but a few puffs let some toasty, savory and floral notes slip through. As I’m nubbing this stick, trying not to burn my fingers, some nice dark roasted coffee bean flavors have come through. I am honestly sad to see this one go, but alas the time has come.

Final thoughts: This was an experiment that I was handsomely rewarded for. In all honesty, this was one of the best Tatuajes I have ever smoked. And I smoke A LOT of Tatuajes. If anyone has ever rolled the idea around in their head, my suggestion is that you get off your ass and make it happen! You will not be disappointed in the least! If I had the financial resources, as much as I love them, I’d sacrifice a whole box of Cojonu 12 Reservas to make a box of these! I found the experiment to lack the “toasty” character when compared to the real deal. Both cigars had similar profiles and unleashed bold flavors of cocoa/mocha, caramel, cedar, cream, and a roller coaster ride of spice, albeit at different point.

This week we are photographing and reviewing the Liga Privada Único Serie Papas Fritas. This petit corona, made at the La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate factory in Nicaragua, is one of the latest innovations from theDrew Estatestable.

Cut: Not applicable. A quick tug at the pigtail did the job. Not elegant….but efficient!Drink: NonePalate: Fresh# cigars smoked for review: Three

Prelight: At first glance, the pigtail cap on this cigar is rather unique and commands some attention. It is more reminiscent of the fuse on an M-80 firework or the stem of an apple. No coil: it stands at attention waiting to be torn off. There is no primary banding, just a simple and attractive boquilla band. The wrapper is dark and mottled with an ultrafine tooth and scant amount of oils. It’s resilient and thick. The seams are tight and the cigar feels uniform and well packed throughout its entire length. Nothing to suggest mixed filler here! The initial aromas off the foot are of sweet tobacco, mild cedar, and cocoa. The cold draw yields more sweet tobacco, cocoa, and leather with some raisin, zinfandel, and port notes. Once the band is off the foot…it begs to be ignited. Let’s get it on!

Draw: Comfortable and fluent from start to finish

Flavors: Initial notes are of dark chocolate, leather, espresso, and sweet cedar. There is a quick burst of spice (cayenne/red pepper) that fades into the background after the first 5-6 draws….only to be acknowledged again on the retrohale. As the cigar gets going there is no doubt about it: it’s broadleaf baby….in all of its gritty glory! The smoke is dense, lush and creamy. It’s big on the palate. You can chew it! Production is not quite colossal, but it is definitely imposing and impressive for such a small stick. Classic Liga! As the cigar hits mid stride, the leather becomes more dominant. The generic sweetness is given a name: blackstrap molasses. From the dark chocolate and bitter espresso emerges a more dry dusty cocoa. The woody finish transitions from mild sweet cedar to more of a dark cherry and nutty toasted oak with some fleeting vanilla notes. Overall, the flavors are rich and intense. They come in waves and roll effortlessly over the palate. It’s game on and full Nica flavor from the get go! My palate interprets the strength to transition from a medium minus to a solid medium as I hit the end of the first third. Don’t worry….what it lacks in strength it more than makes up for with its vigor!

Burn: Excellent. All three samples were razor sharp. Only a few minor touch ups. Two ash drops and my first ash was 1 ½ inches long!

Construction: The excellent construction of this cigar is truly a tribute that must be paid to the rollers. This is no ordinary short filler……this is the result of passion meets performance. Total smoke time was 45 minutes – 1 hr. and 15 minutes.

Descriptive adjectives: “Little Big Man”. “Petite Power”. “Liga #4.5”. This is ten pounds of Liga in a five pound sack!

Sleeve worthy: Absolutely

Overall: I have yet to meet a Liga I didn’t like. This was no exception. It is not just a commuter cigar! Take the extra 15-30 minutes…. and slow down….to savor and appreciate the gifts from the torcedors’ chaveta!

This week we are photographing and reviewing the L’Atelier LAT46 Selection Spéciale. This corona-gorda vitola, made at the My Father factory in Nicaragua, is the latest release from theL’Atelier Importsstable.

This is a true Corona Gorda vitola, measuring 5 5/8 by 46. In a market plagued with obese sticks, this cigar really tickles me pink. Just as I believe the original LATs coming in boxes of 15 was smart, this one coming in boxes of 10 is even smarter. Same basic box concept as the originals; same original band with the addition of a secondary “Selection Spéciale” band. Alright, enough of this mumbo jumbo. Let’s get down to business.

For starters, the wrapper is noticeably darker than the originals, as it is a higher priming leaf. Same proprietary blend as the original LATs. Construction is flawless with the same flag top finish as the originals. The smell of the foot is of hay and amazing tobacco. It literally transports me back in time some 10 years ago when I was first smitten with everything that had to do with cigars. The draw, with a shallow straight cut, is ideal for me. Just a little bit of tug. This has been consistent in both the prerelease (2) and the market release (2) I have smoked for this review.

As soon as I light up, I’m smacked with spice both across my palate and on the retrohale, which is very intense. It has very savory characteristics to start. Toasty, smoky, and cedary. The aftertaste, thus far, is just barely dropping hints of flavor I associate with the core LATs but not quite discernable yet. The lingering mouth feel is smooth with just a touch of grit, almost like an ultra-fine sandpaper; enjoyable. A full inch in, the burn has been RAZOR sharp (not touch-ups) and has a very nice white/gray colors with touches of black throughout. A flavor of toasted artisanal bread has made its way to the forefront of flavor with strong cedar on the retrohale. (Side note: Something interesting I’ve noticed with every one of these I’ve smoked is a tingle on my lips, across my palate, and in the back of my throat. Certainly not unenjoyable, just very interesting.) The spice on the retrohale has stayed fairly intense, but is very enjoyable for me. With the halfway mark approaching, a strong effervescent characteristic has developed. This is something I’ve noticed not only with the LAT46, but the original LATs as well and I thoroughly enjoy it. It’s like menthol without the mint, if that helps explain it any better. The toastiness is still present up front, with the mocha notes I get a lot of in the originals coming through in the aftertaste. With this stick, it’s like clockwork that as soon as you pass the halfway mark, the strength really spikes in intensity. It goes from a nice, consistent medium, to full bodied in the blink of an eye. Cedar is one of most consistent flavors in this stick, which makes sense because it’s very present in the originals. However, I interpret it as a more woody cedar in the 46, whereas it’s sweeter in the originals. I might attribute this to the amped up quality of the wrapper. Nevertheless, it’s a great flavor. Into the final third of the cigar, the construction really shines! Not very warm to the touch and not spongy. The effervescence has really intensified in the retrohale. The mocha aftertaste has all but fade away and has given way to a nice roasted coffee bean characteristic with just a touch of graham cracker. Finally snubbed it out with about a ¾ inch nub.

Final Thoughts: Smoking time: 1 hour 10 minutes. I personally love this cigar just as a love the original LATs. It’s has the same base bones, but the high priming wrapper really gives it its own unique flare. I often tell people who are trying LATs for the first time that they really need to pay attention to it, as they might overlook a lot of the subtle nuances. The 46, just as its big cousins, seems to make quick changes almost from puff to puff. The flavors jump around and really make for an enjoyable smoking experience. As far as rating this cigar goes, I won’t. I don’t believe in the numbers games. What I will say is this. I will be smoking many more of these! I’ve already set aside a box for aging and I can’t wait to see what time will do to these smokes, provided I can keep my grubby paws off of them! Happy smoking my friends!

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/03/latelier-lat46-selection-speciale/feed/0EP Carrillo Medalla D’Orohttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/03/ep-carrillo-medalla-doro/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/03/ep-carrillo-medalla-doro/#commentsMon, 18 Mar 2013 05:01:32 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=3150This week we are photographing and reviewing the EP Carrillo Medalla D’Oro. This lonsdale vitola, made by the master blenderErnesto Perez-Carrillo, is an exclusive release for theFederal Cigar- New Hampshire chain owned by Rick Gadway. Right off the bet one will recognize the obvious a) Medalla D’Oro is a continuation of theNew Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012and b) Medalla D’Oro packaging is not too far from the Cuban staple – Bolivar Gold Medal. EP Carrillo Medalla D’Oro andTatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 – REDUX ‘Hassell’are hitting the market in march of 2013 to commemorate Federal Cigar’s 92nd Anniversary.

Visually, from extra foil packaging to standard bands, from smooth wrapper to elegant pigtail (as depicted below), the EP Carrillo Medalla D’Oro screams class ! Slightly oily, golden brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, well blended seams, visible veins is what is on the cover of the EP Carrillo Medalla D’Oro. The draw was excellent from the very beginning to the very end. In the flavor department: woodiness, nuttiness, hints of dried fruit, spiciness which continued to increase as the time has progressed, and tiny bits of sweetness which at times felt “perfumy-like” (?). Great amount of creamy-in-texture smoke which coated and dried out the palate. Nearly perfect burn line throughout.

Carrillo-Gadway collaboration produces another winner, full stop. I went back and read my thoughts on the New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 after I wrote the above paragraph. Fortunately, not much of a departure ! I enjoyed the New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 quite a bit and hoped for a thinner vitola. The Medalla D’Oro is the answer. Delicious assortment of flavors, fantastic construction, good price point ($85 per box / boxes of 10) – box worthy purchase in my humble opinion !

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/03/ep-carrillo-medalla-doro/feed/0Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 – REDUX ‘Hassell’http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/02/tatuaje-federal-cigar-90th-anniversary-109-redux-hassell/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/02/tatuaje-federal-cigar-90th-anniversary-109-redux-hassell/#commentsWed, 27 Feb 2013 05:01:39 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=3100This week, the CigarPhoto is displaying, not reviewing, the latest offering from Rick Gadway’s Federal Cigar – Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 – REDUX ‘Hassell.’ If you are familiar with the original Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 Reserva, please be aware that the latest REDUX ‘Hassell’ release is not a continuation of the original Reserva batch but instead, and I quote “… this is fresh new product made with broadleaf and with Hassell band on it – Pete Johnson …“

It is my understanding that the Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 – REDUX ‘Hassell’ will be available for purchase at the Federal Cigar Plaistow location on March 16th, 2013 (in-person only) and on March 18th, 2013 (call). Hassell boxes and bundles are priced at $250 each.

The man requires very little introduction. If you follow premium cigar industry you will recognize his name as the owner of the Cigar Press magazine pushing the envelope to stay fresh and unique. The magazine screams art and out of the box presentation. David Nielsen’s (Thor’s father) drawings should not be missed. Ad’s are relevant and within reach for the average Joe.

Cigar Press premiered in June of 2007. It was founded in Los Angeles, California by Thor Nielsen, who currently lives in and produces Cigar Press out of Miami, FL. It can be found in cigar shops around the United States in all 50 states as well as other countries and cities such as Canada, New Zealand, Amsterdam, Great Britain, Brazil, Hong Kong, among others.

Cigar Press is undoubtedly a fresh approach to cigar-related print media. Everything from content to design is unique and approached with innovative style …

Cigar Press Magazine is the new voice for cigar related print media in the industry. While we appreciate the traditional aspect of the cigar industry, we are not always traditional in our own approach or style …

Cigar Press aims to provide unparalleled quality and truth in its photography, cigar tasting reviews journalistic, and artistic integrity. We dive into the cultural aspect of the countries and people who are involved in the cigar business. Each issue of Cigar Press is focused from beginning to end while being visually bold and daring … Each issue can feature interviews, factory tours, cartoons, products, cigar art, and other cigar-related subjects that the reader finds useful and entertaining … Beer and brewery tours can be found in most issues as well as travel features, events, cigar scene coverage and much more. We are innovative in design and style. Our mission is to educate our readers by engaging them in content while visually stimulating them.

Thor and I attended the Cigar Safari in Esteli, Nicaragua back in 2012. While touring Drew Estate’s factory, we had a pleasure of sampling freshly rolled ‘naked’ Feral Flying Pigs. As one would expect from the Drew Estate product, the sample produced so much smoke, it covered half of Thor’s face & upper body. The stage was right, the object was ready, photo props (cigar, black glasses, rock-style ring) were in the right place. Two frames later, I pulled of this dreamy-looking portrait which exposed only half of Thor’s face and glasses but covered the rest with a cloud of thick and “curly” smoke. Mysterious finish, just like the man himself.

Nikon D3 + 14-24mm f/2.8 (1/90sec / f/4.0 / 24mm)

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/02/thor-nielsen-of-cigar-press/feed/0La Palina Goldie Laguito No.2http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/01/la-palina-goldie-laguito-no-2/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2013/01/la-palina-goldie-laguito-no-2/#commentsThu, 17 Jan 2013 05:01:19 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=3041This week we are photographing and reviewing the La Palina Goldie Laguito No.2 - one of the latest releases from La Palina stable. Produced at the El Titan de Bronze factory in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, the entire collection of Goldie has been rolled in the Laguito No. 2 vitola (hence the name) by master roller Maria Sierra.

La Palina Goldie Laguito No.2 press release:
Goldie Drell Paley, the namesake of our brand, was the wife of Sam Paley, who in 1896 founded La Palina Cigars. To celebrate the history, contributions and accomplishments of women in the cigar industry, we are proud to release the La Palina Collection Goldie. e Goldie is a limited 1000 box release. Produced at the El Titan de Bronze factory in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, the Goldie is made under the supervision of owner Sandy Cobas. The entire collection has been rolled in the Laguito No. 2 vitola (6×38) by master roller Maria Sierra. Maria is one of the ?rst women trained to roll cigars in Cuba. Her historic 32 year career at Villa El Laguito began July 22, 1967. Maria is a 95 rated, category 9 roller trained by Fidel Castro’s personal roller Eduardo Rivera Irizarri, as well as Avelino Lara, the creator of the legendary Cohiba blend. Each cigar is ?nished in the traditional Laguito style with a fan cap, exclusively taught to rollers at Villa El Laguito. e Goldie is blended with the prized Medio Tiempo leaf, found on only 10% of tobacco plants. The La Palina Collection Goldie embodies the tradition, expertise, and passion of women in the cigar industry.

Visually, the La Palina Goldie Laguito No.2 screams elegance. Smooth, light brown wrapper, well blended seams, visible veins, triple cap, traditional yet striking band and last but surely not least, exotic fan cap. The draw was superb from the very beginning to the very end. In the flavor department: slightly spicy finish, hints of nuttiness, woodiness. Toward the end, noticeable increase in spice and pepper on the tongue. A very apparent fruity flavor lingering in the mouth throughout the cigar. Considering vitola size, insanely strong and very light ash in the first half. That firm ash begin to flake starting in the second half. Good amount of smoke as depicted below. Near perfect burn line throughout.

Personally, the La Palina Goldie Laguito No.2 has it all a smoker would want. Approachable vitola size, great presentation, fantastic construction and burn, complex flavors which start on the medium plus and go up to full, creamy texture, etc … accolades continue. If you think this is not for you b/c of the shade of the wrapper, the size, the presentation, you are doing yourself a disservice. Seek out La Palina Goldie Laguito No.2. You will not regret it.

Prelight: As my eyes move from the ragged closed foot, they are drawn to the subtle color variations in the veining on the light brown Colorado wrapper. There are few prominent veins and the creasing is accentuated by reddish hues giving it a mottled and weather-beaten appearance. The wrapper is smooth to the touch, has very little oils, and a very fine tooth right up to the gorgeous triple cap. To sum up the overall appearance: crude rustic elegance. It’s definitely a “Monster.” The prelight aroma is rather unassuming and muted: mild cedar, straight tobacco, and light barnyard. The cold draw is in keeping with the prelight aroma: mild cedar, some raisin notes, sweet tobacco and light hay. Nothing screams bold or adventurous.

Draw: Comfortable and effortless. Balanced to the length of the cigar perfectly.

Flavors: Initial spice, but not the classic Pepin black pepper. It’s a woody spice up front with cedar predominating. There are distinct cinnamon and nutmeg notes balanced by leather and earth. The pepper(black/cayenne) comes on the retro, and it’s BIG! As I settled into the first third there is a core of cinnamon and cedar. Initially, the smoke is drying on the palate, but as the cigar starts to transition a wonderful sweetness emerges and softens the sharp woody edges. It’s not a dense, thick molasses sweetness. It’s a bit nebulous at first. It’s there, but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s light and engaging. I’m hoping it continues to develop. The smoke becomes creamy and mellows on the palate. As I get into the second third the strength is consistent. On my palate it’s a medium minus. Flavors that continue to dominate are mild cedar and cinnamon and then that sweetness begins to take on a more defined role heading into the latter portion of the second third. I know what it is now. It’s fantastic. It’s graham cracker! As it transitions into the final third there are some fleeting herbal, grassy, and minty notes, but the cinnamon, cedar, and graham cracker are still center stage all the way to the nub.

Burn: Excellent. Two touch ups. The ash was a flaky salt and pepper and split in funky directions. The burn rate and temperature was spot on. Smoke production was good. Total smoke time was 2 hours.

Construction: Excellent.

Descriptive adjectives: Rustic Elegance, “Cinn-a-Monster”

Box worthy: Yes

Overall: Pleasantly surprised. Of the mini-monsters, the Mum was my least favorite. I was so underwhelmed, after my experience with it’s little brother, that I did a box split for the full size Mummy this year. That was a mistake!

The Cain Special Release 550 cigar was designed with a small rare batch of Ligero we had in the factory. We did not have enough to use for a normal production cigar or even a small batch release. We had enough to make 800 cigars total.

Both Cain NUb Daytona 460 & Cain Special Release 550 will never be available as regular production.

There are no more boxes of these cigars available. We used them all during events.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/12/studio-tobac-2012-event-only-release/feed/0Jonathan Drew of Drew Estatehttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/12/jonathan-drew-of-drew-estate/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/12/jonathan-drew-of-drew-estate/#commentsTue, 11 Dec 2012 05:01:01 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2942It has been a while since ‘Cigar Industry In Focus‘ series had an update so I decided to dig through Lightroom catalogs for the right contender. This week we are placing Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate in focus.

Jonathan Drew (stage name – JD) requires very little introduction, if any. In fact, if you don’t know who JD is, you probably have been living under the rock for the last few good years OR you have chosen to ignore today’s Mecca of the cigar industry – Nicaragua. Why did I mention Nicaragua ? Well, if you had a chance to meet Jonathan in person or have read some of his social-media posts, you know that the man lives and breathes Nicaragua. There is that much passion ! In May of 2012, I had the pleasure of visitingLa Gran Fabrica Drew Estateand the amount of knowledge, information, tips, tricks and passion that was pouring out of Jonathan’s mouth throughout the trip, was simply mind blowing. If you know Jonathan, you know that he can make your ears “bleed.” I call him the ‘Tobacco Poet.’ Just when you think you know a little bit about cigars and the industry, trust me, you don’t know much. Jonathan Drew and others are uber-cigar-geeks and they will hypnotize you with the cigar knowledge.

Another objective while in Nicaragua was to photograph Jonathan Drew to further contribute to my ‘Cigar Industry In Focus‘ project. When I think of Jonathan, I think of two things: tobacco and Nicaragua so I wanted to include these two ‘props’ while I was making the photograph. While my previous ’Cigar Industry In Focus‘ entries were somehow staged, below photographs were made ‘gorilla’ style: quick movement, rapid in & out bursts, strategically placed focal point, use of negative space, rule of thirds, etc. I was pleased with the outcome. In fact, very pleased with the color version below. If you stare long enough at the leaf, you will find it “pulsating” and/or looking as if it had a 3D finish.

Oradell, NJ, July 03, 2012 –(PR.com)– Following the success of the 92 rated Petite Corona known as the Habanito and the 91 rated Torpedo,REINADO unveiled the Grand Empire Reserve at the 80th Annual IPCPR Convention and International Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, in August, 2012.

The Grand Empire Reserve is a box pressed Robusto that incorporates a select habano maduro wrapper and an additional aged Nicaraguan filler which leverages REINADO’s signature fermentation process to provide even greater depth, richer undertones, and enhanced overall complexity for both the casual and the distinguished cigar smoker.

“The flavor profile of the Grand Empire Reserve was developed after extensive sampling to deliver a truly exceptional blend,” said Antonio Lam, owner of Cubanero Enterprises. “We believe the flavors and balanced strength developed through extending REINADO’s unique fermentation process along with the inclusion of the aged Nicaraguan filler will distinguish the Grand Empire Reserve from all other cigars on the market,” said Lam.

A single size called Elegidos meaning “chosen” is scheduled for release in August, 2012 followed by additional sizes.

“As demonstrated through the REINADO core product line and the introduction of the Grand Empire Reserve, we are dedicated to innovation and offering smokers quality choices of highly rated cigars,” said Lam.

The Grand Empire Reserve will be available through select retailers and, on a limited basis, directly through REINADO.

Draw: a bit on the loose side, but not uncomfortable or anywhere near wide open.

Flavors: Initial soft subdued spice that fades fairly quickly to allow herbal and floral notes to emerge. The smoke is light on the palate and there is a delicate nuanced complexity: tea, stone fruits, and sweet mild cedar. It reminds me of a Curivari El Gran Rey. Then it happens … the flavors gently transition into a beautiful soft and mellow full flavored finish: earth, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, and burnt toffee. Cinnamon, nutmeg and roast nuts on the exhale/retro. There is a wonderful black strap molasses sweetness evident throughout. The smoke becomes lush and creamy on the palate. The strength never goes past medium plus for me. Flavor is full from the start and never dies down. It’s delicate, but has some serious shoulders. It’s polished strength and a thing of beauty.

Burn: a bit wavy and required a few touch ups. The ash is a flakey dark salt/pepper pot ash grey. Each ash left a symmetrical glowing cherry.

Construction: excellentDescriptive adjectives: Rich….F’ing Rich!Box worthy: absolutelyOverall: going to be in my top 5 this year

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/11/reinado-grand-empire-reserve/feed/7Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario 2007http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/10/don-carlos-edicion-de-aniversario-2007/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/10/don-carlos-edicion-de-aniversario-2007/#commentsMon, 22 Oct 2012 05:01:44 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2864This week we are photographing and reviewing the Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario 2007 robusto vitola – released under Fuente Aged Selection and produced in Dominican Republic at Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. Year 2006 was the 30th anniversary of the Don Carlos cigars created by the patriarch of the Fuente family, Carlos Fuente, Sr. In 2006, in a tribute to his father, Carlito Fuente created the Don Carlos 30th Anniversary cigars – the Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario. The fillers and binders are Dominican tobaccos. They are wrapped in the shade-grown tobaccos from Chateau de la Fuente, same tobaccos one will find on the Fuente Fuente OpusX. The Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario has been released in relatively limited quantity since its inception in 2006. A total of 22,500 Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario cigars were shipped to the authorized Fuente Aged Selection dealers in May 2012. The next release will be in the spring of 2013.

500 of the Robusto 2006
500 of the Double Robusto 2006
500 of the Toro 2006

Overall, good experience. Good flavors, excellent construction, exceptional packaging. To get the best out of this cigar, I strongly recommend not rushing through it. Take your time and enjoy the complexity of the Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario 2007 which in my personal experience, wasn’t that simple to dissect. If rushed, especially in the last third, the nicotine kick will sneak up on you ! It did in the third sample I have smoked. Would I recommend the cigar ? – Yes. Is it an everyday smoke ? – Far from it. The price tag will scare plenty of cigar smokers but at the end of the day, your wallet will dictate Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario’s success.

The expectation was / is that each year will bring another kit filled with prototypes and regular production cigars. This week CigarPhoto is delivering an exclusive overview of the Saints & Sinners 2012 kit. In addition, one can visit the following link to preview what was included in 2012 Saints & Sinners registration package.

For an annual registration fee of $150, each member will receive: 1. Exclusive, one-off products available only to members (select products may not be available for purchase through the S&S webstore)
2. Everyday Tatuaje branded merchandise at the Saints & Sinners discounted club rate.
3. Access to members-only forums, where you can discuss the finer points of cigars, smoking accessories, spirits, and anything else associated with the Saints & Sinners lifestyle.
4. Access to the Pete Johnson video blog. Here, Pete will update members on everything PJHC. Watch Pete as he travels around the world, visiting his production facility in Nicaragua, engages fans on cigar tours, and dishes on anything else he feels his Saints & Sinners family should know.
5. First looks at new cigar blends, swag, as well as insider info on Tatuaje and other Pete Johnson brands.
6. The knowledge that a portion of your annual membership fee will go to an eclectic mix of charities that Pete chooses for their commitment to their particular cause.

Today, July 22nd 2012, the cigar community gathered once again to recognize the special ‘JJ for JJ Day’ and to honor the memory of the ‘Little Robusto.’ For those who are not familiar with this tribute, ‘Little Robusto’, who passed away at the age of 3.5months from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the son of widely recognized and respected cigar blogger – Jerry Cruz (stogiereview.com). This special day is recognized by smoking a cigar made by Don Pepin Garcia, appropriately called ‘Series JJ.’

In May of 2012, I had a pleasure of joining Jerry Cruz at the Drew Estate’s Cigar Safari trip in Nicaragua. During that trip, all attendees have visited the MyFather Cigars – the company behind Don Pepin Garcia ‘Series JJ’ Little Robusto project. Seeing Jerry Cruz talking & thanking Jaime Garcia and smoking the ’Series JJ’ Little Robusto (as depicted below), was special, even for me – a fellow cigar enthusiast.

Take your time, enjoy your ‘Series JJ’ cigar and remember The ‘Little Robusto.’

In May of 2012, I was able to cross another item off the bucket list – a visit to a tobacco-growing country. Although there is obviously more than one, personally, Nicaragua is at the top of THE list. I was very fortunate to receive an invite from the Drew Estate ‘The Rebirth Of The Cigars’ company to join the famous Cigar Safari trip. I have heard nothing but positive feedback from fellow brothers of the leaf so the Drew Estate didn’t have to wait too long for my acceptance.

Few other fellow cigar enthusiasts have joined the same Cigar Safari trip so I encourage that you visit their websites or magazine, respectively.

The Cigar Safari was not only filled with tons of knowledge sharing, exposure to nuts and bolts of the industry, blending seminars, tasting seminar but also plenty of camaraderie and laid-back conversations lasting through the night, literally. I could attempt to summarize the Cigar Safari play-by-play but I would most likely run out of adjectives so instead, I will highlight few points and let photographs do the rest of the talking.

The amount of knowledge, information, tips, tricks and passion that was pouring out of Jonathan Drew and Steve Saka throughout the trip, was simply mind blowing. If you know Jonathan, you know he can make your ears “bleed.” Well, between him and Steve, they made all of our ears bleed, and some … in a good way ! Just when you think you know a little bit about cigars and the industry, trust me, you don’t know much. Those guys are uber-cigar-geeks and will hypnotize you with the cigar knowledge.

Not only was I invited to the Nicaragua, today’s Mecca of cigar industry, to learn about the craft and the country itself ‘from the ground’, I was given an opportunity to see and absorb all of it from the bird’s-eye view, literally. Never I imagined that I will be flying over Lake Managua in the helicopter, learning about the country, learning about the cigar industry, learning about Joya de Nicaragua & Drew Estate collaboration, with one and only – Dr. Alejandro Martinez Cuenca as the private guide. What are the chances ??? Seriously ! From cigar-geek’s and photographer’s perspective, this was simply – a bliss !

Speaking of knowledge and misconceptions, Jose Blanco dropped a significant load of knowledge during the Tasting Seminar. This is another one of those ‘must attend’ learning classes. Jose will take you through the basics, will challenge your knowledge, will address many misconceptions and most importantly, open your eyes and palate so going forward, you can elevate your appreciation for cigar smoking experience.

There are many other topics that could be covered in this post but I will leave you, the reader, with photographs and have you ponder over the cigar industry and Cigar Safari. No words can describe the amount of work that goes into the production of the product that you and I both enjoy – the premium cigar. One has to see this operation and the beautiful Nicaragua with his/her own eyes to appreciate what I have attempted to illustrate. If you ever decide to pack your bags, don’t think twice … The Cigar Safari is your ticket to the “Nica Paradise.”

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/07/cigarphoto-at-cigar-safari-2012-after/feed/10Liga Privada Lounge Grand Opening – Barrister Cigarshttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/06/liga-privada-lounge-grand-opening-barrister-cigars/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/06/liga-privada-lounge-grand-opening-barrister-cigars/#commentsWed, 20 Jun 2012 05:01:36 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2539On 15JUN2012 I attended the Liga Privada Lounge Grand Opening at Barrister Cigars. In case you have been living under the rock for the past few years, Liga Privada is Drew Estate’s current flagship line. David Mallow’s (owner) establishment has been selected as the third Liga Privada Lounge in the US. In addition to the very broad selection of Drew Estate’s cigars presented at the Grand Opening, the Barrister Cigars shop was and will continue to be decorated with Drew Estate and SubCulture Design Studio Fan Club (club spearheaded by extremely talented artist – Jessi Flores and his team) art work (e.g. paintings, display cigar case, flying pigs, banners, etc). In attendance were: Jonathan Drew – Drew Estate co-founder, Gary Drew (Jonathan’s father), Kevin McCormack (Regional Sales Rep at Drew Estate), and many fellow cigar enthusiasts. Overall, great event as one would expect from the Drew Estate family ! If you are in the area, check out the Barrister Cigars – Liga Privada Lounge. If you are not in the mood for Liga Privada No9, at least you can scope out the place and enjoy SubCulture Design Studio Fan Club art work.

Effective 15JUN2012, the following three locations are your Liga Privada Lounges:

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/06/liga-privada-lounge-grand-opening-barrister-cigars/feed/3CigarPhoto at Cigar Safari 2012 (before)http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/cigarphoto-at-cigar-safari-2012-before/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/cigarphoto-at-cigar-safari-2012-before/#commentsSun, 27 May 2012 01:02:19 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2524CigarPhoto is off to Nicaragua attending the Cigar Safari – an event sponsored by Drew Estate ‘The Rebirth Of The Cigars.’ This will be our first cigar trip to the ‘cigar motherland.’ I’m looking forward to learning, sharing, experimenting and most importantly, spending quality time with the Drew Estate family and fellow cigar enthusiasts. Of course, I hope to share my trip live via iPhoneography. If you are interested, check my FB page at https://www.facebook.com/CigarPhotography. I also hope to take few decent frames with my other equipment. That will be shared after the trip.

Pursuit of passion !!!

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/cigarphoto-at-cigar-safari-2012-before/feed/1Studio Tobac World Tour 2012http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/studio-tobac-world-tour-2012/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/studio-tobac-world-tour-2012/#commentsFri, 18 May 2012 05:01:28 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2501In 2011, Studio Tobac World Tour made its appearance at ‘Fume’ in Montclair, NJ with Special Edition 2011 Touring Corvette. This year, 2012, Studio Tobac World Tour is back yet again to shake things up in the Garden State. Studio’s Ambassador, Bryan ‘The Show’ Scholle, this time around rolled into town with 2012 Studio Tobac Limited Edition Sampler and something completely different – Ford F-150 Raptor SVT. Although the concept is similar – put a vehicle on the road and promote the brand, that truck is decal’ed out, literally ! It is my understanding that this year’s vehicle will not be a giveaway and will most likely spill into 2013 Studio Tobac World Tour, at which point it could become eligible for a giveway … allegedly. In case you wonder about Studio Tobac project, please find their summary from Studio Tobac’s website.

Studio Tobac was born within the Oliva Cigar Company in 2007. It is a collection of the company’s most innovative minds. Studio Tobac consists of an Executive Board of Directors, A Studio Ambassador, an advisory board comprised of independent cigar enthusiasts around the world, as well as General Membership. For over three years the Studio has conceived innovative projects like the renowned NUB cigar. A cigar which introduced a complete new format in premium handmade cigars to the industry. The Studio also successfully produced the CAIN cigar. Cain is the only STRAIGHT LIGERO cigar in the world. These and many more projects exist within the portfolio of Studio Tobac. For 2011 the Executive Board decided to open the Studio to the cigar smoking world. The Board further moved to establish an advisory board to be selected by invitation, as well as a General Membership available to cigar enthusiasts from all over the world.

I said this last year and I will say it again. For those of you who are thinking about attending Studio Tobac Tour, I encourage you to do so. Definitely an event not to be missed. Bryan ‘The Show’ Scholle is a down-to-earth kind of guy and pleasure to hang with. We will revisit Studio Tobac World Tour in 2013, for sure !!!

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/studio-tobac-world-tour-2012/feed/1Studio Tobac Limited Edition Sampler 2012http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/studio-tobac-limited-edition-sampler-2012/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/studio-tobac-limited-edition-sampler-2012/#commentsTue, 08 May 2012 05:01:25 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2468This week we are photographing, not reviewing, the latest project from Studio Tobac’s stable – ‘Studio Tobac Limited Edition Sampler 2012.’ This is the sequel to last year’s ‘Studio Tobac Limited Edition Sampler 2011.’ Studio Tobac LE samplers are available exclusively at Studio Tobac events during Studio Tobac World Tour. It is unknown at this point if any cigar out of the 2012 sampler will ever see the ‘regular production’ light but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Cain F lancero Déjà vu. I have yet to sample the content of the Studio Tobac Limited Edition Sampler 2012 to pick my favorite but I do have a specimen lined up for near future review. Stay tuned !

Although slightly delayed but honest Thank You goes to Bryan Scholle and Studio Tobac family for sending over this Studio Tobac Limited Edition Sampler 2012 !

The following are makeup of each cigar (* thanks for Bryan Scholle) and dimensions:

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/05/studio-tobac-limited-edition-sampler-2012/feed/4CigarPhoto in Playa del Carmen, Mexicohttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/04/cigarphoto-in-playa-del-carmen-mexico/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/04/cigarphoto-in-playa-del-carmen-mexico/#commentsFri, 27 Apr 2012 05:01:39 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2420CigarPhoto is coming back from a well deserved vacation in pleasantly warm Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Although we have stayed in one of the chain hotels (Iberostar), a trip to Playa del Carmen was added to the itinerary to visit two cigar shops – La 5ta Habano (shop owned by fellow Friends Of Habanos member) and La Casa del Habano. The purpose of that visit wasn’t so much about stocking up but more about going to the store, buying a cuban cigar (legally), ordering mojito with Havana Club Anejo 7 rum and … relaxing.

I was able to accomplish exactly that at the La Casa del Habano. Between mojito sips, I was able to take few photographs and scope out price tags – scary, as expected. I was quoted $850 for a box of Trinidad Fundadores !!! Everything across the board was super overpriced and if I lived in Mexico, I wouldn’t be smoking cuban cigars unless I was paying wholesale. On the way back I stopped at the La 5ta Habano. Great, but very small, shop. Rush Blakely (the owner) has expanded his selection to include non-cubans as well. Refreshing strategy, considering every other Joe will be most likely looking for the forbidden Cohiba.

It wouldn’t be a complete trip to Caribbean region without seeing fakes cuban cigars. Your “standard” glass-top selection was readily available on the main drag. Casa Partagás was selling Siglo VI tubes for $50 each ! Iberostar hotel had a dedicated cigar lounge with decent cigar selection. Unfortunately, once again, way overpriced. I skipped their stock but couldn’t say no to unlimited and free amount of Havana Club Anejo 7 rum. Bliss ! Airport’s Duty Free wasn’t any different. I had to double check with their customer service if prices were in Mex$ or USD$. A box of Cohiba for 900 USD$ tapped it all.

Bottom line, bring your own ! If you smoke cuban cigars exclusively, bring them down as well unless you are willing to pay $25 for Monte #2.

This photoshoot was executed back in 2011 in Montclair, NJ during 2011 Studio Tobac Tour. I have contact Bryan via Twitter and asked if he would be interested in few simple, without studio lights, camera clicks. We were both game ! The Studio Tobac Tour is about Bryan Scholle and The Car (2011 – Special Edition 2011 Touring Corvette Convertible), like Michael Knight and the K.I.T.T. Despite limited parking and working space (* I was literally crouching on the 2-way busy street), we got few good frames worthy Bryan’s wall. The highlight of the photoshoot had to be the ‘flipping bird’ LOL ! Imagine: North Jersey attitude, jealousy, sick Corvette, two young cats (Bryan and I) posing in front of the car, Dave Wagner (Oliva’s VP of Sales) standing in the middle of the street with an iPhone taking pictures … it only made sense to ‘Flip a Bird’ toward our way, right ? Yep … it happened. We laughed it off and continued smoking Studio Tobac’s latest releases.

2012 Studio Tobac Tour is now in full swing. Check Studio Tobac’s website for latest updates.

Bryan “The Show” Scholle – Bryan has been enjoying fine cigars since 2006, which started as an occasional hobby but quickly formed into a very strong passion. Bryan started with Oliva family in February 2010 as an account executive covering the West Florida Territory. Bryan started his sales career for Coca-cola following in his grandfathers footsteps. He was inducted into the Top Performers Club in 2004 for being Salesman of the year for Florida. Then in 2008 Bryan followed his passion and went to work for a Tampa based cigar shop named Tampa Humidor, which also is 1 of 2 Oliva Lounges in the USA. Bryan’s passion and knowledge for cigars grew during his years that he worked there. Bryan grew up with a very supportive family and group of friends that always told him to “aim for the stars…” , with this support he has been able to accomplish many great things in his short life. Bryan is very excited to be named Studio Ambassador for Studio Tobac, and can’t wait to get out on the open road and to a tobacconist near you very soon. – Studio Tobac website

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/04/bryan-scholle-of-studio-tobac/feed/1Cohiba lanceroshttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/03/cohiba-lanceros/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/03/cohiba-lanceros/#commentsFri, 30 Mar 2012 05:01:48 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2376It is time for another ‘forbidden fruit. This week we are photographing and reviewing the one and only – Cohiba lanceros. This Laguito No.1, wrapped in leaves from the Vuelta Abajo region, was initially an exclusive to Cuban regime and used as a diplomatic gift to other Heads of States. The cigar was officially named around 1969 and became commercially available around 1984. Currently it is available in a box of 25 / 50 and a pack of 3 / 5. Obviously there are special releases like Commemorative Humidors and count in those will vary. Two samples smoked for this reviewed came from JUN2001 release and were wrapped in a Standard Band C vs current Band D. Main differences: non-embossed paper / dot rows / La Habana vs. Habana / orange-ish vs. yellow finish (depicted below).

Visually, just like the Cohiba Siglo VI, was not that spectacular. Nothing like Cohiba Behike. Decent construction with clearly visible seams & veins. I did not feel any hard or soft spots upon further inspection. After clipping the cap and lighting the cigar, I was introduced to a relatively tight draw which continued to improve throughout the smoke. In flavor department, the Cohiba lanceros was full of grassy and floral notes as well as hints of woodiness and nuttiness. Definitely a noticeable creamy finish to the smoke. The ash was fairly long considering lancero format, yet a bit “dirty” / dark grey. There was a decent amount of smoke output, especially after draw opened up.

Overall, good experience. I continue to enjoy properly rolled lanceros with good burn and good draw. Personally I wouldn’t purchase a box but I would definitely add few to occasional rotation.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/03/cohiba-lanceros/feed/3Oliva Master Blends 2http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/03/oliva-master-blends-2/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/03/oliva-master-blends-2/#commentsTue, 06 Mar 2012 05:01:23 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2344This week we are photographing and reviewing the Oliva Master Blends 2 by Oliva Cigar Company. As the name implies, this is a sequel to an extremely successful Oliva Master Blends 1 release which we have summarized about 10 months ago. Oliva Master Blends 2, made in Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A., hit the market in 2005 in the following vitolas: robusto, torpedo, churchill. Production run – 120,000 cigars total. Oliva Cigar Company deviated from nicaraguan puro blend and switched the wrapper in the Oliva Master Blends 2 to Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatra.

Visually, Oliva Master Blends 2 robusto looked appealing. I continue to appreciate the semi-box pressed finish. Although there were some visible veins and not so tight seams, the cigar had a well applied cap and was tightly packed – no soft spots. Similarly to the predecessor, Oliva Master Blends 2 had the famous laser-etched logo imprinted right below the band. Unfortunately that unique identifier went away with the Oliva Master Blends 3 release. The laser-etched logo and visible veins looked relatively alike and formed a spider-like appearance around the wrapper. Neat ! Draw was perfect before and after the cigar was lit. In flavor department, not overly complex cigar but good solid hints of roasted nuts, dried fruit, and a touch of spiciness. Good draw produced copious amount of smoke which subsequently coated and dried the palate. The burn started off with a bit of waviness but finished on a ‘straight note.’ The ash was pretty firm and fell in 3/4″ chunks.

Oliva Master Blends 2 robusto was an enjoyable experience. Folks will agree that generally, sequels are never as successful as the original. Well, perhaps Godfather 2 might be one of those exceptions. Oliva Master Blends 2 was good but not as good as Oliva Master Blends 1 but then not a lot of cigars, in my personal opinion, are in the Oliva Master Blends 1 category. My taste buds preference order: Oliva Master Blends 1, 2, 3, as released. I hope that Oliva Master Blends 4 will break that chain. As of today, no updates on Oliva Master Blends 4 except – “in development.”

Thank You all for participating. Cigar smoking is about enjoying as well as sharing. Going forward, if my coolidors / humidors agree, I would like to continue with 1 giveaway per month. Cigars, Photo prints, etc. Conceptually, not too many limits. Everyone is welcome back to ‘play’ again. I have received quite a bit from the cigar industry and local B&Ms. It is time to Pay It Forward. Enjoy !

Leave a comment (no rules) and be eligible for one 3-pack of Tatuaje ‘Celebracion de Cinco’. Deadline – 11:59pm EST on 29FEB2012.

Random selection and announcement will take place on 01MAR2012.

—-

This week we are photographing and reviewing the Tatuaje ‘Celebracion de Cinco.’ This exclusive and limited edition is a collaboration between Pete Johnson of Tatuaje and Cigar Mas Fino – a cigar shop located in Fresno, California operated by the Soza Family. This 2011 project was released to commemorate Cigar Mas Fino’s five years in business, hence ‘Celebracion de Cinco’ or ‘Celebration of Five.’ This robusto vitola came in a box of 24 / only 100 boxes produced. When asked about the makeup, Pete responded with the following:

A slightly stronger noble. Same base blend with a brown label priming for the wrapper. – Pete Johnson

Visually, another well executed blend by My Father Cigars stable. Dark, oily, toothy wrapper with well applied triple cap and unfinished foot. The cigar had no visible veins and extremely tight seams. Great start ! Tatuaje ‘Celebracion de Cinco’ was sporting a standard Havana VI band as well as a secondary band signifying Cigar Mas Fino’s ‘Celebracion de Cinco’ designation. That specific band reminded me of Cuban Regional Edition presentation. I have smoked a total of five samples for this review. I wasn’t trying to match the ‘Cinco’, it was purely a coincidence. Interestingly enough, I was able to experience different / unique flavors in one of those samples. Most delivered good amount of earthiness, espresso, dried fruit (like raisin), and some pepper on the finish. One of the samples lacked most of those flavors and was overpowered with woodiness. All Tatuaje ‘Celebracion de Cinco’ samples delivered good amount of smoke and decent ash. As for as draw / burn goes, unfortunately mixed feedback in this department. Few samples were spot on, yet other experienced the infamous tunneling which subsequently impacted existing flavors.

If it wasn’t for good performance in selected samples, I would have marked this release (or perhaps my box) as questionable. I will continue to sample the rest of the box and continue to evaluate the construction. Overall, despite couple hiccups, another good release by Pete Johnson.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/tatuaje-celebracion-de-cinco/feed/40EP Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 (Exquisitos) – prereleasehttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/ep-carrillo-new-wave-connecticut-short-run-2012-exquisitos-prerelease/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/ep-carrillo-new-wave-connecticut-short-run-2012-exquisitos-prerelease/#commentsMon, 13 Feb 2012 05:01:08 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2227Today we are photographing and reviewing a prerelease of the New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 (Exquisitos) – the latest short run project from the master blender Ernesto Perez Carrillo. Based on the success of the New Wave Connecticut and the Core Maduro lines, EPC Cigar Co decided to experiment with mixing the tobaccos from both of these lines. The outcome of that is today’s release which consists of the wrapper from New Wave Connecticut and binder / filler from Core Maduro.

Based on the huge success of the New Wave Connecticut and Core Maduro lines, we decided to experiment with mixing the tobaccos from both of these lines. The New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 captures the best of both lines – it is packed with flavors and strength, and is probably our best Short Run yet ! This Short Run will come in the typical 3 Short Run sizes, and we’ll be making 1,000 boxes per size. – Ernie

Vitola

Size

Packaging

Retail

Exquisitos

4 7/8 x 50

Box of 24

$152.40 / $6.35

Invictos

5 7/8 x 52

Box of 24

$170.40 / $7.10

Reinados

6 1/4 x 60

Box of 24

$206.40 / $8.60

Visually, New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 (Exquisitos) was near perfection. The cigar was sporting an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, well applied triple cap, invisible veins and extremely tight seams. The entire length of all three samples was relatively soft to the touch. After clipping the cap, perfect draw as one would expect from Ernesto’s previous releases. Great start, indeed ! In flavor department, New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 opened up with woodiness, earthiness, nuttiness and hints of dried fruit. There was an evident spiciness on the finish as well. Normally I don’t experience dry mouth during smoking but this cigar definitely gave that impression. Not a negative observation though. In the second half, present flavors as well spiciness increased it’s intensity. The burn was good, considering I have smoked my first sample the day after it arrived in the cold North Jersey. It went wavy couple times but corrected itself without manual intervention. The amount of smoke was photo-friendly and the ash … well, photographs below speak for themselves. An amazing construction execution resulted in +2″ of grayish ash.

Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. in the Dominican Republic has another winner, full stop. Ernesto Perez Carrillo continues to innovate and his projects are agreeing with my palate. Can’t beat that. I have smoked Exquisitos for The Review but also sampled Invictos in hopes that the latter will deliver that sweet spot. I can say that it did. Exquisitos was more aggressively spicy, almost too spicy for my taste. Invictos, delivering just as great flavors, was more balanced and refined. As for as constructive feedback, I would appreciate a smaller ring gauge version of the New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012, ala Regalias Real. I have smoked through my share of New Wave Connecticut Stellas (5 1/8 x 42) and Core Maduro Club 52s (5 7/8 x 52) / Core Maduro Regalias Real (5 5/8 x 46) and I believe one can place New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 somewhere in the middle. NWC in the morning, NWC SR’12 in the afternoon, Core Maduro in the evening = magic !

* DISCLAIMER: New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 samples were gifted by EPC Cigar Co. Ernesto’s generosity had no impact on the actual experience. The cigar spoke for itself.

- click on photographs (slideshow / EXIF)-

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/ep-carrillo-new-wave-connecticut-short-run-2012-exquisitos-prerelease/feed/5Cigar Plume vs. Moldhttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/cigar-plume-vs-mold/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/cigar-plume-vs-mold/#commentsFri, 10 Feb 2012 05:01:29 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2199How often were you told that a given cigar is covered with Plume (or Bloom) only to find out, based upon closeup inspection, that you are dealing with a Mold ? I was on multiple occasions. 9 times out of 10 it is unfortunately the latter – the infamous Mold or simply – fungus.

Mold appears on the surface of cigars and will form irregular, fuzzy, patchy clusters. Although normally mold forms on the surface, it can also be found on the foot and within the filler. Mold can appear in various colors: gray, white, blue, green, yellowish. High humidity (80% and above) or wet spots in cigar containers are the root cause for the Cigar Mold. Inspect your humidors frequently, especially during summer when temperature and humidity levels are high. Folks often debate whether moldy cigar should be destroyed or salvaged. First, remove questionable cigars as soon as possible and inspect the surrounding. Introduce circulation, rotate your cigars and boxes from time to time, and keep humidity in check. Some salvage their moldy cigars by simply wiping that nasty fungus off and subsequently smoking it. I, personally, don’t see the need to salvage mold / fungus. There is plenty of other cigars to choose from. I chuck it and move on.

Plume (or Bloom) is a happy place to be. Unlike patchy and fuzzy mold clusters, Plume will look like a dusty layer throughout the cigar. Initially formed as tiny crystals, Plume is a naturally occurring by-product of long-term cigar aging and rising of essential oils to the surface of the cigar. There is no negative impact on smoking as for as I know. Many cigar smokers cherish cigars covered with Plume and label them as a successful aging project.

- click on photographs (slideshow / EXIF)-

]]>

http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/cigar-plume-vs-mold/feed/4H. Upmann Sir Winstonhttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/h-upmann-sir-winston/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/h-upmann-sir-winston/#commentsWed, 01 Feb 2012 05:01:04 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2176It is time for another ‘forbidden fruit.’ This week we are photographing and reviewing H. Upmann Sir Winston. This pre-1960s release, packaged in a cabinet of 25, was named after former British Prime Minister – Winston Churchill. H. Upmann Sir Winston, hand rolled with premium tobacco leaves from the Vuelta Abajo region in Cuba, has been label as the best Julieta No.2 vitola Cuba has ever produced. With the high expectation, let’s get right to it, shall we ?

Visually, one is introduced to a silky, oily wrapper with excellent cap finish, no visible veins and well blended seams. Based on up-close inspection, H. Upmann Sir Winston was a well rolled firm product without any soft or hard spots. After clipping the cap, slightly tight draw. Fortunately with some manual intervention the draw improved. In flavor department, grassy / floral, almost dried fruit alike, pleasant taste which ultimately morphed into woodiness. Hints of sweetness, especially on the lips, and milk cocoa. There was also some spiciness on the retrohale but nothing like advertised. Burn line was decent, nothing exceptional. It started off a bit wavy and uneven, then corrected itself in the middle only to go down south once again toward the end. I had to relight couple times. The amount of smoke was excellent after draw intervention and ash, as depicted below, was superb.

Overall, good smoke. One has to appreciate the fact that this is a churchill – a smoke that will take you for a couple-hour ride. I normally don’t smoke churchills nor double coronas (non-cubans or cubans) so H. Upmann Sir Winston is not something I will reach for too often. Others have reported a full body experience which I personally can’t relate to. It had a little bit more punch, no pun intended, but definitely not a nicotine bomb. I have smoked quite a bit of H. Upmann Magnum 50s and 46s and I see myself reaching out for those more often than H. Upmann Sir Winstons.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/02/h-upmann-sir-winston/feed/9EP Carrillo Short Run 2010 No.4http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/ep-carrillo-short-run-2010-no-4/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/ep-carrillo-short-run-2010-no-4/#commentsTue, 24 Jan 2012 05:01:44 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2152This week we are photographing and smoking an EP Carrillo Short Run 2010 No.4. This corona vitola, made by the master blender Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, is an exclusive release for Federal Cigar – New Hampshire chain owned by Rick Gadway. EP Carrillo Short Run 2010 No.4 comes in the box of 20 and will set you back $110. As the name implies, Ernesto has expanded 2010 Short Run line by adding No4 vitola. The following additional sizes in the same line are available to the mass market:

Populares – 4 7/8 x 50
Delirios – 5 7/8 x 52
Doninantes – 6 1/4 x 60

EP Carrillo Short Run 2010 No.4, manufactured at Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. in the Dominican Republic, was sporting an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with couple visible veins and well blended seams. The cigar was tripple capped and ~%95 of it was well constructed. Based on relatively thorough inspection (12 out of 20), tip of each cigar was under-filled and felt very soft to the touch. I have inspected few other EP Carrillo cigars from my humidor and none were constructed the same way. Perhaps done intentionally ? After clipping the cap, Short Run 2010 No.4 had a perfect draw. Not too loose, not too tight. Just what the doctor ordered. In the flavor department, intense experience as expected from No4 ring gauge. Cedar mixed with a bit of sweetness / saltiness. Hints of earthiness and coffee. If you enjoy spicy finish on the palate, Short Run 2010 No.4 will deliver just that. Burn line and ash were of good quality, as expected from industry’s true icon – Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. Don’t let the size fool you ! This relatively short / thin vitola was packing some heat ! I would place it close to the full category.

Overall, EP Carrillo Short Run 2010 No.4 is another successful release. Rick Gadway was generous enough and gifted few samples couple months ago which were burned right off the truck. Both the pre-release and the regular production smoked great but I believe resting them for couple months may be beneficial. Considering the other Federal Cigar exclusive – Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 Rosado / Reserva, Rick Gadway is on the roll. I’m looking forward to upcoming Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s projects and Rick’s exclusives.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/ep-carrillo-short-run-2010-no-4/feed/11Big Smoke New York 2011http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/big-smoke-new-york-2011/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/big-smoke-new-york-2011/#commentsThu, 19 Jan 2012 05:01:41 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2138In 2011, and for the first time, I had a pleasure of attending the Big Smoke event in the New York. Similarly to Great Smoke, Cigar Fest, Cigar Expo and all other cigar events held across Good Ole US of A, Big Smoke offered a unique opportunity for cigar lovers to meet and celebrate the pleasures of smoking fine, handmade cigars alongside fellow aficionados and representatives from the cigar industry. The 2011 Big Smoke event, held at the Pier 92, was full of cigar icons, political figures, sport stars, and tons of cigar aficionados. I, personally, have spent most of my time with the Studio Tobac family – Bryan Scholle, Ian Hummel and Dave Wagner. Cain F lanceros, few glasses of Zaya & Ron Zacapa, friendly atmosphere, great camaraderie, couldn’t ask for more ! Well, actually, I wouldn’t mind photographing former New York city mayor – Rudy Giuliani ! Luckily, I did :) Rudy Giuliani did stop at the Studio Tobac booth and with some assistance from both Bryan Scholle & Ian Hummel, sparked one of the NUBs. Although this wasn’t a participative photo session, I was able to pull of couple decent frames. I’m definitely looking forward to 2012 Big Smoke event in the New York.

- click on photographs (slideshow / EXIF)-

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/big-smoke-new-york-2011/feed/2Viaje Exclusivo Corona Gordahttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/viaje-exclusivo-corona-gorda/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/viaje-exclusivo-corona-gorda/#commentsWed, 11 Jan 2012 05:01:12 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2092This week we are photographing and smoking the Viaje Exclusivo in corona gorda format by Andre Farkas of Viaje. This specific vitola is not available for regular sale / distribution but it is available, fortunately, at Viaje events. Some have reported that Viaje Exclusivo CG was only available as a giveaway from Andre himself however at the latest Viaje event at the Cigar Republic (NY) store – a retail face of the Atlantic Cigar Company, I was able to purchase an entire bundle. The cost of the bundle – $220 / 25. Andre Farkas has confirmed that Viaje Exclusivo CG is available for sale at every Viaje event he attends. It is my understanding that the following Viaje cigars are available in the Exclusivo line:

Construction of the Viaje Exclusivo CG was visually pleasing with minimal veins and very tight seams. There is something about that ‘fancy’ finish and today’s cigar, like few other within that line, was sporting well applied pig-tail. The cigar had no soft spots and foot gave the impression of well bunched tobacco. After cutting and lighting, good draw with decent amount of smoke. In flavor department, blast of spice and blast of savory, rich earthiness. Similarly to Exclusivo Shorts, I was able to extract woody / leathery notes in the background. Definitely a noticeable increase in strength when compared to recently smoked Exclusivo Shorts or Exclusivo Tower 45th. As for as the burn and ash, pretty satisfactory experience, as depicted below.

I have put down 3 samples for this photo / review entry and although above comments are overall positive, I did wanted to mention the fact that the first sample had some not so favorable qualities. Not only did I experience that ‘alligator’ looking finish with the ash (similar to Exclusivo Shorts), the middle 2″ or so had a noticeable tunnel which negatively impacted the flavor department. Fortunately, the other two samples had no construction / burn hiccups. If you find the flavor profile up your alley and / or you are a Viaje Exclusivo fan, this is definitely a vitola to seek out. Considering how Viaje cigars are priced and what I have paid for the bundle, Exclusivo Corona Gorda is a no brainer.

Thank You all for participating. Cigar smoking is about enjoying as well as sharing. In 2012 and going forward, if my coolidors / humidors agree, I would like to continue with 1 giveaway per month. Cigars, Photo prints, etc. Conceptually, not too many limits. Everyone is welcome back to ‘play’ again. I have received quite a bit from the cigar industry and local B&Ms. It is time to Pay It Forward. Enjoy !

Leave a comment (no rules) and be eligible for one 3-pack of Four Kicks (corona gorda) by Crowned Heads. Deadline – 11:59pm EST on 09JAN. Random selection and announcement will take place on 10JAN.

—-

This week we are photographing and smoking the latest creation out of the Crowned Heads stable – the Four Kicks. In the last few months, there has been a lot of chatter about the Four Kicks project in the social media circles. Kudos to Jon Huber and Mike Conder for creative and successful marketing campaign. Both individuals and their fellow business partners have shifted their creative minds from one established cigar company to a brand new cigar venture with a catchy label – the Crowned Heads. I can continue to summarize the history, the meaning, the approach or I can simply provide a link to the Crowned Heads website. I will choose the latter since one has to and will appreciate the amount of effort it takes to launch a premium cigar company from the ground floor up after watching numerous videos, reading blog entries, and absorbing all other information. A must read !

Packaged in 24-count boxes, Four Kicks is available in four shapes: Corona Gorda (5 5/8″ x 46), Robusto (5” x 50), Sublime (6” x 54), and Piramide (6 1/8” x 52). The suggested retail price ranges from $6.95 to $8.65 per cigar and is available through the following retailers.

The Four Kicks corona gorda, manufactured at Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. under the supervision of one of the cigar industry’s true icons, Ernesto PerezCarrillo, was sporting an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with clearly visible seams and veins. After clipping the tripple cap, I was introduced to a perfect draw – pretty much an expectation from Ernesto’s work. Pleasing blast of spice on the initial draw and throughout the experience. The spice (pepperish) was definitely heavily concentrated in the back of the throat. In flavor department, hmmm, where should I start ? I have smoked through 3 samples in preparation for this entry and each one brought something additional to the table. There was definitely plenty of woodiness and earthiness throughout the smoke. Previously mentioned spiciness was balanced with less muted, but oh-so-enjoyable, sweetness. Few days prior to the Four Kicks marathon, I have smoked through few good quality CCs and I swear, on more than one puff, I felt that ‘cubanesque’ taste. Whether that is a compliment or an insult, I won’t digress but personally, I found that extra ‘bonus’ to be quite enjoyable.

The Four Kicks in corona gorda vitola is a box worthy purchase. Full Stop ! Whether you are a collector interested in an inaugural release and / or a smoker who finds above flavor description up their alley, you should consider seeking a box, or at least a sampler. I’m patiently awaiting Crowned Heads’ encore but until then, I will continue to enjoy the Four Kicks in my favorite vitola – corona gorda.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2012/01/four-kicks/feed/43Tatuaje TAA 2011http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/12/tatuaje-taa-2011/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/12/tatuaje-taa-2011/#commentsSat, 31 Dec 2011 05:01:03 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=2008This week we are closing 2011 with photographs and review of a cigar called appropriately for this occasion – Tatuaje TAA 2011. This specific project is a collaboration between Pete Johnson of Tatuaje and Tobacconists’ Association of America. For those who wonder what TAA is: The Tobacconists’ Association of America, Ltd. is a trade organization established in 1968 by visionary retail tobacconists. TAA’s mission is to provide an open forum of ideas, strategies, and problem solving between retail tobacconist and vendors to the trade. 1,500 boxes (20 cigars each) were made available only to TAA retailers that visited the TAA show in 2011.

Yearly cigar. Different blend and size every year. Blend is based on the regular brown label. – Pete Johnson

The Tatuaje TAA 2011 cigar had a well applied triple cap but the toothy, oily Broadleaf Connecticut wrapper was a bit rugged looking and had clearly visible seams & few noticeable veins. Bottom line, not as pleasing as Cojonu 2012 Broadleaf. Obviously the look had no impact on the performance nor flavor experience. Draw could have been a tiny bit tighter for my personal taste but overall, no complaints. In flavor department, insane amount of chocolate / sweetness / rich earthiness throughout the first half of the cigar. In between, easily identifiable woodiness and cedar. Not as much spice as others have experienced. Burn line wasn’t perfect but wasn’t bad either. The Tatuaje TAA 2011 went wavy couple times but required absolutely no touch-ups. Ash, although initially fairly tight, became awfully flaky after the middle mark.

Well, did I enjoy Tatuaje TAA 2011 ? You bet I did. Broadleaf Connecticut wrapper, box-pressed finish, closed foot = winning recipe in my cigar book. The cigar delivered great array of flavors, decent strength and excellent format. As for as I’m concerned, this is a box worthy purchase, if you can still find it. Looking forward to Tatuaje & TAA 2012 collaboration.

It is time for another ‘forbidden fruit.’ This week we are photographing and reviewing Hoyo de Monterrey Edicion Limitada 2003. Looking across HdM, this was the first and is one of the figurado shaped Edicion Limitadas.

Visually, one is introduced to a relatively dark, aged for 2 years, oily wrapper with a lot of visible veins and seams. After clipping it, excellent draw. Considering inconsistency and construction problems, good draw in a cuban cigar puts a smile on my face. Great start ! Pleasing flavors right out of the gate. Enjoyable chocolate morphed into an espresso like taste. In addition, I was able to extract a bit of cinnamon, woodiness, and hints of sweetness on the lips. To balance it, there was a hint of spice / pepper, especially toward the end. Along with a great draw and a bit unexpected, thick, rich smoke that made photography session that much more enjoable. The burn line was a bit wavy at first but then corrected itself and progressed exceptionally well. The ash, as depicted below, was simply superb.

I absolutely enjoyed Hoyo de Monterrey Edicion Limitada 2003. Considering sweet chocolaty flavors, this cigar reminded me of Cohiba Genios and its maduro characteristics. I had couple samples of HdM EL ’03 couple years ago and recall similar experience. After reading latest reviews on this specimen, I was expecting a lot less flavors and strength. Although I agree with the latter, I believe that this pyramid is still packing quite a bit of flavor. If you can find singles or a box, I strongly recommend it.

Thank You all for participating. Cigar smoking is about enjoying as well as sharing. In 2012 and going forward, if my coolidors / humidors agree, I would like to continue with 1 giveaway per month. Cigars, Photo prints, etc. Conceptually, not too many limits. Everyone is welcome back to ‘play’ again. I have received quite a bit from the cigar industry and local B&Ms. It is time to Pay It Forward. Merry Christmas to You and Yours !

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/12/god-of-fire-serie-b-cigar-giveaway/feed/4Studio Tobac Exclusive Collectionhttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/12/studio-tobac-exclusive-collection/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/12/studio-tobac-exclusive-collection/#commentsTue, 13 Dec 2011 05:01:47 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=1913This week we are photographing, not reviewing, the latest project from Studio Tobac’s stable – ‘Exclusive Collection.’ I was gifted this sampler by Ian Hummel – Oliva’s Regional Sales Manager couple weeks ago at the Big Smoke in NYC. The concept of the Exclusive Collection was born during Studio Tobac’s Executive Board meeting at the IPCPR. There were 500 boxes made. The Exclusive Collection is shipping now and will be offered to the top Studio Tobac retailers in the US – $120 per box MSPR. The box itself contains 9 cigars: 4 x Cain F lancero, 4 x Cain Daytona lancero, 1 x Culebra.

Leave a comment (no rules) and be eligible for one 3-pack of God of Fire Serie B (robusto gordo). Deadline – 11:59pm EST on 12DEC. Random selection and announcement will take place on 13DEC. Perfect Holiday Gift !!!

—-

This week we are photographing and reviewing a God of Fire Serie B (robusto gordo 54), a product released through collaborative effort between Keith K. Park of Prometheus and Carlos Fuente Jr. Serie B will be available this holiday season in two vitolas: robusto gordo (54×5.5″ – $22 msrp) and gran toro (56×6″ – $24 msrp). Release quantity – 10,000 each. God Of Fire Serie B line, produced in Dominican Republic at Tabacalera A.Fuente y Cia, will come in two different blends.

GOF Serie B ‘Robusto Gordo 54′ is using an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper. GOF Serie B ‘Gran Toro’ is using a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. We have released two Serie B vitolas for this holiday season. In 2012, we will be adding couple more sizes to the Serie B line. – Keith K. Park

Similarly to the God of Fire by Carlito 2007 review, the overall presentation of God of Fire Serie B ‘robusto gordo 54′ was near perfection. That goes for the box design, packaging and band story. There is a bit of a departure when it comes to cigar’s construction though. If I was to compare visual presentation and construction of the GOF Serie B (robusto gordo 54) to the GOF by Carlito 2007, I would identify the former as “bold / edgy” and the latter as “refined / smooth.” GOF Serie B ‘robusto gordo 54′, as stated above, was sporting a thick, rugged looking, Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper with plenty of thick veins and clearly visible seams. After clipping it, easily detectable peppery spice on a cold and free flowing draw. In flavor department, I was able to extract the following: earthiness, woodiness, black pepper and hints of sweetness on the tip of the tongue and lips. The Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper triggered sharp increase in the strength department. Retrohale was an experience in itself. Ash, although not as good as GOF by Carlito 2007, was still holding-on fairly long and needed couple extra taps to fall off. Burn line from the beginning to the end was a bit wavy on the first smoked sample but perfect on the second.

This was surely an interesting and a bit unexpected experience. I always thought of God of Fire cigars as smooth, refined, etc. That was not the case with GOF Serie B ‘robusto gordo 54.’ The latest project is edgy, bold with “dark / deep” flavors. If you are a God of Fire follower and always wanted a similar experience with an extra kick, don’t look any further. Having said that, what also comes along with Serie B is a familiar price tag ($22 / $24 depending on vitola). I was very pleased with GOF by Carlito 2007 and its price tag didn’t scare me away. I don’t think I feel the same about Serie B ‘robusto gordo 54.’ Your mileage may vary ! Perhaps for me, it was the Ecuadorian Sun Grown finish that put a spin on the experience. I understand that my fellow photographer / blogger (Brooks from smokingstogie.com) enjoyed his ‘Gran Toro’ with Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper quite a bit. I have a soft spot for Connecticut Broadleaf so for now, I’m looking forward to trying the Gran Toro !

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/12/god-of-fire-serie-b/feed/58Liga Privada Unico Serie ‘Feral Flying Pig’ – prereleasehttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/11/liga-privada-unico-serie-feral-flying-pig-prerelease/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/11/liga-privada-unico-serie-feral-flying-pig-prerelease/#commentsWed, 30 Nov 2011 04:01:35 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=1818This week we are photographing and smoking the latest project out of the Drew Estate stable – a pre-release of Liga Privada Unico Serie ‘Feral Flying Pig’ (FFP). This is a follow-up, in my eyes, to the successful ‘Flying Pig’ (FP) project which was photographed and reviewed by cigarphoto.net as well (No9 – T52). Although both versions of the FP have received plenty of accolades, many, including yours truly, have expressed a constructive feedback regarding “ergonomics” and the size of the cigar. I’m not sure whether that feedback was considered or the follow-up project was already in motion, I am, however, pleased to see Drew Estate’s reaction and increase in the FFP’s length.

Let me be clear about the Feral Flying Pig (and any Flying Pig Family for that matter) in regard to aging. The Feral Flying Pig is the VERY BEST PIG we have ever done and quite possibly the very best cigar we have ever made (in my opinion of course). These will only get better with age, and might, just might, become an all time classic with a year or two on them. – Jonathan Drew

In my opinion this is by far and away the best Flying Pig blend – the taste and proportions are just perfect. They will be more expensive having just looked over the final cost, but I think those who are fans of this oddball will feel like they got a better value when they buy a box of these. The blend is so righteous we are right now working the tobacco schedule to see if there is anyway to make the FFP an ongoing vitola even if it is in a really limited capacity. First batch in late November – it will be released in waves of about 800 – 1000 boxes a month for the next 4 months or so as they age/taste right. We have decided to NOT make this a one-time batch release like the previous FP releases – rather we will continue to make it in small lots like we do Dirty Rats. – Steve Saka

Conceptually, the FFP looked very much like the FP: perfecto on steroids with a sexy pigtail. If you had a pleasure of enjoying the FP No9 and appreciated the wrapper and construction, you will definitely not be disappointed with the FFP. Work of art without seams and no visible veins ! In the FP T52 review I’ve noted extremely toothy wrapper and in the FP No9 review, “silky” smooth wrapper. Although Jonathan Drew had stated that FFP is wrapped in the No9 capa, I found its texture to be similar to the FP T52 – very toothy. After clipping the head, perfectly flowing draw. In flavor department, notes of wood / cedar at the beginning with a touch of chocolate / sweetness in the middle and increase in flavors toward the end. Definitely spicy / peppery finish on the palate, especially on retrohale. Although there was a decent amount of flavors in the FFP, in my personal opinion, most were muted compared to the FP No9. However, when it comes to the strength and the kick, the FFP shined like a glowing star ! This cigar had some kahunas. Full Stop !!! As mentioned in all previous Liga Privada reviews and as expected, the FPP produced an incredible amount of thick smoke. The burn line was top notch as depicted below. Ash, as with both FPs, could not have been any better.

Overall, another successful release from folks at the Drew Estate. If you are into big ring gauges, have enjoyed FPs (both flavor profile and shape) and appreciate an extra strength kick, I see FFP flying (* literally) off the shelf like its predecessors. After appreciating all three FPs, I’m still partial to the FP No9. I believe there is a bit more flavor and a bit less strength in the FP No9 and that combination agrees more with my palate.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/11/liga-privada-unico-serie-feral-flying-pig-prerelease/feed/7Liga Privada Unico Serie ‘L40′http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/11/liga-privada-unico-serie-l40/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/11/liga-privada-unico-serie-l40/#commentsTue, 22 Nov 2011 04:01:46 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=1774This week we are photographing and smoking one of the latest projects out of the Drew Estate stable – Liga Privada Unico Serie ‘L40.’ This long time coming lancero has been dreamed and talked about in many cigar lounge circles. Looking horizontally and vertically across Liga Privada brand, including core as well as Unico Serie, a lancero was the next logical, in my opinion, project to be tackled by the creative minds of the Drew Estate. As per cigar spec sheet located on the Drew Estate blog, ‘L40′ refers to the slightly larger ring size than your typical lancero. The additional girth was necessary to accommodate the desired blend of 5 tobaccos. The ‘L40′ recipe was in development for 2+ years prior to release.

One has to appreciate the look of the full box of Liga Privada. The ‘L40′ lancero is not any different. Fifteen well rolled, shiny, oily, veinless, full of aroma cigars are gracing the Unico Serie box. The selected specimen had few visible seams but overall excellent construction and well applied cap. After clipping it, excellent draw. There is nothing more annoying than plugged and excessively soft lancero, fortunately ‘L40′ had scored highly against those two requirements. In flavor department, a spice bomb out of the gate on the first few puffs. Definitely black pepperish lingering in the back of the throat. Mixed with the spice were hints of coffee, chocolate and clearly noticeable (periodically) sweetness. That intense spice level had cooled off in the second / third part of the cigar. Toward the end, coffee / chocolaty / sweet flavors were replaced with wood and cedar. Burn line was relatively acceptable, considering it was lancero. It was wavy but no manual intervention was required. Ash – surprisingly flake-less but DIRTY and when I say dirty, I mean exactly that. The color of the ash looked like someone dipped the tip of the cigar in the mud. Having said that, who cares ! One can not complete a review of the Liga Privada without talking about the smoke, the cloud, the atomic bomb mushroom cloud ! Like the rest of the Liga Privada, especially No9, ‘L40′ produced a ton of smoke which made photography session that much more enjoyable.

Liga Privada Unico Serie ‘L40′ was definitely an enjoyable experience. I have not had a chance to sample the pre-release so I can’t comment on improvements, if any (* check Tony Casa’s thoughts on the pre-release atcasasfumando). If you enjoy lancero vitola, I would recommend searching them out and experiencing it for yourself. I understand both Jonathan Drew & Steve Saka of Drew Estate have stated that Liga Privada Unico Serie ‘L40′ is a unique blend, differing from other Liga Privada blends. I can appreciate that statement but I can not look at the Liga Privada brand and not compare Unico Serie ‘L40′ to my favorites: Unico Serie ‘Dirty Rat’ or LP No9. I think we, the mainstream cigar smokers, often fall in the trap of forcing already excellent projects into other vitolas. Many of us love corona gordas, coronas, lanceros without fully appreciating the existing work. In my humble opinion, Liga Privada Unico Serie ‘L40′ is another well executed project but when it comes to the Liga Privada brand, my go-to will continue to be No9 toro and Unico Serie ‘Dirty Rat.’ In that order.

This past friday I have attended an event at the Cigar Republic (NY) store – a retail face of the Atlantic Cigar Company. In attendance was Andre Farkas of Viaje and Paul Palmer of Casa Fernandez. The event was scheduled for the release of Viaje Exclusivo Lancero to recognize Atlantic Cigar Company’s 15th Anniversary.

I have never met Andre in person so this was a perfect opportunity to contribute towards ‘Cigar Industry In Focus‘ series. After brief introduction and random conversation, I have asked Andre for 5minutes of his time to execute a rapid photoshoot. Total darkness, 40° F, creepy corner, metal stairs – couldn’t ask for better studio! Andre expressed interest in photography as well so after brief photo chit-chat, we went to work. I always get the kick out of those cigar-puffing sessions. Even folks in the industry have a limit on how many times they can pull on the cigar to create that perfect, per photographer’s vision, cloud of smoke.

It is time for another ‘forbidden fruit.’ This time we are photographing and smoking a La Casa del Habano release – Bolivar Gold Medal (2008 box). I call this specimen a ‘roller-coaster’ of cuban cigars. Its initial release was discontinued in 1992 but later resurfaced as an exclusive to Germany in 2004. Three years later, in 2007, it was reintroduced and made available via La Casa del Habano only to be discontinued once again in 2011. Perhaps we will see it again !

There aren’t that many cigars out on the market that can stand alone without the box packaging. Bolivar Gold Medal is one of those exceptions. Golden foil / La Casa del Habano band combination give this cuban cigar a striking christmas ornament look. Eye candy ! The cigar itself, visually, had an excellent construction. In fact, Gold Medal had much more elegant finish than highly praised and recently reviewed Cohiba Siglo VI. There were no visible veins nor seams. Exceptionally well rolled, with no soft spots and after clipping, perfect draw. In flavor department, initial experience presented hints of spice / black pepper and earthiness. Second/third thirds introduced an overwhelming amount of woodiness. The burn, although initially a bit wavy, ultimately corrected itself and did not need any manual intervention. Ash kept dropping off in ~1″ chunks.

Bolivar Gold Medal was a decent smoke. Not bad but nothing spectacular. Despite being highly rated in the strength department, I was pleased to find it to be medium/high at best. The cervantes vitola is a size that I would welcome in a non-cuban market any day. At the end, I was hoping for a bit more complexity and flavors but Bolivar Gold Medal, in my opinion, fell a bit short and did not deliver. I would recommend seeking a 5-pack but wouldn’t go crazy searching for a box(es). Obviously your mileage will vary.

This week we are photographing and reviewing a prerelease follow-up to Pete Johnson’s (Tatuaje) Cojonu series – Tatuaje Cojonu 2012. Considering specifications, the Cojonu line underwent a major revamp. The 2012 release, based on Cojonu 2003, will be available in two different wrappers: Ecuadorian Sumatra & USA Broadleaf Connecticut. Today’s Cojonu ’03, ’06, ’09 are only available in Habano Ecuador wrapper (* initially wrapped in Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 wrapper). Both versions of Cojonu 2012 will come as 6.5″ x 52 box-pressed parejo vitolas. Depending on the weather, Cojonu 2012 is estimated to be released ~MAR2012 and will be the first Cojonu, for the USA market, to be made in Nicaragua. Pete Johnson is/was planning (based on comments received from Saints & Sinners forum) to release “… standard 25-count boxes for smokers who are interested in one wrapper and 10/10 boxes for those who are interested in both wrappers…” Both Cojonu 2012 box-pressed broadleaf & sumatra as well as Cojonu 2003 (* also box-pressed) prereleases are/were (?) available at local Tatuaje events. I recommend watching the following video recorded by Charlie from stogiereview.com in which he sat down with Pete Johnson and talked about future projects.

This week we have selected Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 broadleaf. Visually, one was introduced to a perfectly wrapped and triple capped cigar. No visible veins and minimal seams. Take relatively dark, rustic looking, oily, slightly toothy USA Broadleaf Connecticut wrapper, add box-pressed finish and you have a delicious looking chocolate bar. After clipping, absolutely perfect draw. In flavor department, pleasant array of flavors – spice lingering in a back of the throat, earthiness, woodiness and hints of coffee morphing into dark chocolate toward the end of the cigar. One would expect some sweetness out of the broadleaf but I wasn’t able to detect much, if any. The Cojonu 2012 was putting off massive amounts of smoke ! Burn – a bit wavy but tolerable and I expect this to improve with time. This is a prerelease after all.

Knowing that Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 was based on Cojonu 2003, I have decided to smoke the latter in preparation for this review. With box-pressed finish and different wrapper, I was expecting a different experience … and it was. If I was to rate Cojonu line, I would humbly place 2006 as my least favorite, 2009 as a close runner-up and 2003 as my favorite. 2003 and 2012 provided different experience, full stop. Both were good but in my personal opinion, I have enjoyed 2003 a tiny bit more. I’m a sucker when it comes to the broadleaf wrapper but perhaps I’m stuck on the 2003 classic blend. As stated above, the masses have spoken and asked for broadleaf finish as well as sumatra. Those that follow cigar industry know that sumatra wrapper is hot nowadays so I’m looking forward to Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 part 2 in which we will put Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper to the test.

]]>http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/11/tatuaje-cojonu-2012-broadleaf-prerelease/feed/7Saints & Sinners 2011 Cigarshttp://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/10/saints-sinners-2011-cigars/
http://cigarphoto.net/blog/2011/10/saints-sinners-2011-cigars/#commentsWed, 26 Oct 2011 04:01:48 +0000http://cigarphoto.net/blog/?p=1613This week we are delivering an exclusive overview of Saints & Sinners 2011 Cigars. For those of you who have been living under the rock for the past few months, Pete Johnson of Tatuaje has managed to add another project to his portfolio – Saints & Sinners private social club. The following information was copied from Saints & Sinners ‘Join Now’ section.

For an annual registration fee of $150, each member will receive:

1. Exclusive, one-off products available only to members (select products may not be available for purchase through the S&S webstore)
2. Everyday Tatuaje branded merchandise at the Saints & Sinners discounted club rate.
3. Access to members-only forums, where you can discuss the finer points of cigars, smoking accessories, spirits, and anything else associated with the Saints & Sinners lifestyle.
4. Access to the Pete Johnson video blog. Here, Pete will update members on everything PJHC. Watch Pete as he travels around the world, visiting his production facility in Nicaragua, engages fans on cigar tours, and dishes on anything else he feels his Saints & Sinners family should know.
5. First looks at new cigar blends, swag, as well as insider info on Tatuaje and other Pete Johnson brands.
6. The knowledge that a portion of your annual membership fee will go to an eclectic mix of charities that Pete chooses for their commitment to their particular cause.

One can visit the following link to preview what was included in 2011 Saints & Sinners kit. After the announcement and shippment, many wondered about the blend and thought process behind each S&S label (* excluding regular production obviously). Some probably have not smoked their share and have been patiently waiting for more information to be announced. Well, for those, today is their lucky day. Each photograph contains: Name, Base, Wrapper, Binder, Filler and some, if applicable, Size and Other notes. Remember, ‘smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.‘

This week we are photographing and reviewing a God of Fire by Carlito 2007, a product released through collaborative effort between Keith K. Park of Prometheus and Carlos Fuente Jr. God Of Fire cigars, produced in Dominican Republic at Tabacalera A.Fuente y Cia, come in two different blends.

From God Of Fire website:The second band signifies who blended the cigar and what year the cigar was made. Carlos Fuente, Sr. and his son, Carlito Fuente, have blended the God of Fire cigars. God of Fire by Don Carlos uses the Ecuadorian wrapper whereas God of Fire by Carlito, Cameroon. We are absolutely honored by the special blends created by the two legendary cigar makers.

The presentation of God of Fire by Carlito 2007 is near perfection. That goes for box design, packaging, band story and obviously the cigar itself. Although I prefer simplicity when it comes to artistic delivery, I can appreciate a band that is not too obtrusive, yet tells an interesting story. In this case, we have a Greek tale of Prometheus being punished by Zeus for stealing fire and giving it to mortals. Neat ! As mentioned above, God of Fire by Carlito 2007 was sporting a Cameroon oily wrapper, with a bit of tooth to it, that lacked any veins and had few visible seams. After clipping the cap, two samples had a perfect draw. Not too loose, not too tight. Just what the doctor prescribed. In flavor department, more accolades. I have experienced an array of flavors – sweetness, nuttiness, honey, leather, woodiness. There were moments that reminded me of your typical Cuban ‘grassiness.’ All was smooth and well balanced. Construction and burn on the God of Fire by Carlito 2007 were top notch, hands down. In fact, I’m tempted to say that this specific cigar took the trophy, for me personally, for the best ash I have ever experienced in my life. The proof is depicted below.

God of Fire by Carlito 2007 was definitely an enjoyable experience both from smoker’s as well as photographer’s perspective. One will probably ask “why don’t we see folks smoking God Of Fire on regular basis ?” Well, unfortunately there is a small obstacle, actually $20+ obstacle. We are living a cigar-smoker dream at this moment. Quality control is at its best, variety is peaking through the roof but unfortunately disposable cash is hard to find. Your average Joe, 9 times out of 10 will reach for the $10 cigar, which today should / could provide similar quality and experience, and will most likely wait for that “special moment” to enjoy God Of Fire by Carlito or Don Carlos.

This week we are photographing and reviewing a cigar from Raices Cubanas factory (Honduras) – Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No5. This specific Viaje release has made a huge splash in the cigar industry after being recognized as # 2 cigar of the year 2010 by traditional media magazine (* # 1 being Cohiba Behike). Although Viaje has had a major following already, this recognition ha put Andre Farkas’ brand in the hands of the mainstream cigar smoker. Quite a recognition if you ask me. I have purchased a 5-pack of both Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No5 and Viaje Platino Reserva VPR No6 before the announcement has been made. Both have been resting in my humidor since late 2010.

Visually, Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No5 was looking “delicious and nutritious.” Gorgeous, oily, dark Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper was covering this 5.5″ chocolate bar. Although there were some noticeable seams and one major vein, the cigar was finished with perfectly applied cap. Thankfully, Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No5 was sporting two, pleasing to the eye, bands, not the “3-headed” monster we saw with Viaje Platino Reserva DT. Oro and Platino lines can be identified by gold and silver band finish, respectively. In the flavor department, this cigar, for me personally, screamed “dark and heavy flavors.” I was able to extract dark chocolate and leather. There was also a sufficient amount of spice that complemented present sweetness. Quite a departure from Viaje Platino Reserva DT spice bomb. The draw was simply perfect. Burn and construction, top notch as well. Ash, as you can appreciate in below photographs, could not have been any better.

In the end, I was very pleased with Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No5′s performance. Although the cigar wasn’t super complex, I definitely appreciated flavors that were present and the overall experience. One will ask “Is it truly a # 2 cigar of the year 2010 ?” I’m struggling with this question since cigar reviewing and rating is extremely subjective. I can think of other cigars that I have smoked in 2010 that were as equally good or even better but that is my personal observation. If you can find Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No5, I recommend that you give them a try. You should not be dissapointed. In case you are interested in my thoughts on # 1 cigar of the year 2010, check Cohiba Behike entry.

It is time for another ‘forbidden fruit.’ This time we are smoking Cohiba Siglo VI. Many will call this specimen ‘The Cuban’ cigar that every smoker should enjoy at least once in his/her life. High expectation, right ?

Visually, nothing spectacular. Decent construction with clearly visible seams & veins. Cohiba Siglo VI’s noticeably toothy wrapper was relatively thin and one could easily feel bumps and soft spots underneath. After clipping the cap, noticeably tight draw to the point where I kept rolling the cigar in my fingers to manually introduce a better air flow. I have struggled with this for at least 25min and if it wasn’t for the review, I would have pitched it. I’m glad my patience runs high when I smoke cigars. Second third opened up and flavors started pouring in one after another. Grassy sweetness, delicate spice, coffee, earth, paired up with thick and rich smoke. Definitely an eye opener. Construction wise, same as above. Average wavy beginning and then major u-turn. Almost perfect burn with ~2″ dark grey ash with tons of smoke.

This was definitely a roller-coaster, similar to Montecristo Sublimes LE 2008. I hate to make general statements but I’m faced with the same issue when it comes to cuban cigars – inconsistency. When you get a good one, it is one special smoke but unfortunately that percentage within a box is low. When I pick a cuban sample out of a box, I hope for good burn and good draw. With non-cubans, those two most of the time are given and I hope for enjoyable flavors. In the end, Cohiba Siglo VI’s beginning was forgettable but the middle and end put this cigar on the map and back in my rotation. Try it for yourself.

This week we have looked deeper into the coolidor and selected a cigar through which we can celebrate another Fall and upcoming halloween. The lucky specimen is Tatuaje ‘Boris’, a spin-off ‘Actor Series’ project to extremely successful ‘Monster Series’ project. The ‘Boris’ is named after William Henry Pratt aka. Boris Karloff (Frankenstein’s monster in Frankenstein).

I have smoked ~5 samples prior to opening this box so I knew exactly what I was up against this time. Visually, Tatuaje ‘Boris’ was not the prettiest kid on the block. When I smoked my first sample, I laughed and wondered “Did someone forgot to cover the binder with a silky wrapper ?” The cigar was sporting an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that was extremely dry and even ‘ashy’ in few spots. One could easily spot more than one color shade. Unlike many cigars reviewed on this blog, ‘Boris’ had visible veins and seams. Without knowing the concept of ‘Monster / Actor’ series, one could be disappointed with the visual presentation but since this was done intentionally, kudos to Pete Johnson for creativity and execution. After clipping and lighting, perfect free-flowing draw with much appreciated amount of smoke. In flavor department, this is were a lot of folks will scream MINT !!! I concur and did enjoy the hints of peppermint that I have yet to find in any other cigar. There was an abundance of woody & cedary flavors with tiny hints of spice and sweetness. Delicious combination. Burn was nearly razor sharp and ash was top notch. Light gray and falling ~2″ chunks.

Tatuaje ‘Boris’ is definitely a unique cigar and I wouldn’t agree with a “typical Pepin / MyFather cigar” comment. Despite the look and the size, this was a clean and fairly quick smoke, respectively. For some strange reason, in flavor department (* minus peppermint), it reminded me of a Liga ‘A’ by Drew Estate. Hmmm. I have smoked Tatuaje ‘Frank’, ‘Drac’, ‘Face‘ and I’m still torn between ‘Frank’ and today’s ‘Boris.’ If you can find singles, 5-packs, boxes, go for it ! At this point, I’m patiently waiting for 2011 Monster Series – ‘Wolfman.’

CigarPhoto.Net is now 6+ months into cigar photography, smoking, reviewing, etc. Although we occasionally receive pre-releases from various manufacturers, 99% of what is aging in our humidors came through our personal wallet. Back in JAN2011 we unveiled this blog and our Humidors. Few months and many boxes later, humidors/coolidor are packed to gills. As I said in my Intro, cigar researching and ultimately purchasing is as equally enjoyable as cigar smoking. Attending events, participating in online forums and social media, expending circle of fellow cigar ‘aficionados’ surely didn’t help in keeping this hobby in check. I’m actively thinking about cabinet humidor purchase (Aristocrat or Avello ?) to add an extra cushion. While this is in works, please find recent bulk arrivals. There was obviously a lot of singles that were purchased / smoked immediately that were not photographed for blog’s humidor update. However, you can keep track of those purchases and experiences via Facebook Fan Page and / or Twitter. Below boxes / 5packs came through random sources: Ruben’s Smoke Stack, Federal Cigars, Fume Cigars, Hava CigarShop, Saints & Sinners, Cigar Mas Fino, and various online cigar communities. Enjoy !

This week we are reviewing a Rodrigo Boutique Blend cigar in 6×60 format. George Rodriguez is the man behind the brand and the vision. When I met George couple months ago he struck me as a soft spoken, passionate, grassroots-approach driven entrepreneur who loves cigar business. One has to appreciate that ! This week’s ‘G6′ Boutique Blend has been labeled as a flavor bomb and made entirely of Grade A tobaccos. Rodrigo cigars are manufactured in Tamboril, Dominican Republic and blended by cigar veteran – William Ventura.

As a reader of this blog, one should already know that 6×60 vitola size is not something that I reach for too often but let’s get beyond that obstacle and concentrate on the look and the burn of this cigar. Visually, Boutique Blend ‘G6′ had an excellent construction. Cigar was sporting a dry Ecuador Habano & Sumatra hybrid wrapper with no visible veins nor seams. After clipping and lighting, perfect free flowing draw, just the way I enjoy it. In flavor department, personally, I walked away from this cigar with a pleasurable sweetness. There were some woody notes which morphed into sweetness, a bit of cocoa and hints of spice. Overall, great assortment of flavors which kept me focused and looking for the next wave. Burn was nearly razor sharp and ash, light in color, fell off in ~1″ chunks.

Clearly, another successful project from George Rodriguez and Rodrigo cigars. If you enjoy today’s 6×60 madness, please do yourself a favor and add Rodrigo Boutique Blend ‘G6′ to your shopping card. If 60ring is not up your alley, look for ‘G4 – 6.25″ x 54′ or ‘G5 – 5.5″ x 56′, I will do the same.

This week we are smoking and photographing Oliva Serie V Maduro 2011 prerelease courtesy of Ian Hummel – Oliva’s Regional Sales Manager. We have seen an annual release of Oliva Serie V since 2008 with slightly different torpedo size, then in 2010 with different wrapper and for 2011, we have a brand new vitola – a Toro ! I used to enjoy belicoso / torpedo shape but nowadays I gravitate more toward parejo shape cigars. Having much appreciation for Oliva Serie V Maduro, especially 2008 release, I was looking forward to this new release after learning of the new vitola. Since this is a prerelease, I have reached out to Ian with Why / What / When questions.

There has been an overwhelming request for a new size in the V Maduro. This year we are giving the customers what they want. The toro size was chosen because it still keeps the full bodiedness of the V, but the blending tweak into a 6×50 toro really helped the wrapper and filler ratio shine. It maintains a full bodied flavor, with a rich, chocolate flavor from the San Andreas Maduro wrapper. Serie V Maduro 2011 should be available ~October / November timeframe. Price point hasn’t been established yet. – Ian Hummel

On the outside, although a bit toothy as expected from the Mexican wrapper, one is welcomed to pristine, oily, well constructed with no visible veins nor seams cigar. I only hope that regular production will carry the same construction quality. Smell of barnyard off the wrapper. After clipping the cap, slightly misleading tight finish only to be transformed into perfectly flowing draw with time. Pleasing blast of spice immediately out of the gate. Earthy tones in the first third supplemented with chocolate and tiny hints of sweetness. Second & third screamed dark chocolate turning at times into an espresso flavors. Spice definitely cooled off toward the end of the cigar. The initial burn was near perfection however there was some waviness toward the end. Nothing major though ! Ash – tight, falling off in ~1″ chunks. If you enjoy noticeable and pleasant aroma, this cigar is a winner.

Did I enjoy Oliva Serie V Maduro 2011 ? Absolutely. Do I recommend a box purchase ? Personally, yes. Do I think vitola change made a difference ? I believe so ! I will take 2011 over 2010 any day. Sounds and looks like Studio Tobac with Bryan Scholle is in full force. Innovation is boiling in that team and I would like for them to experiment with V Maduros a bit more. Perhaps V Maduro 2008 in Corona Gorda ? (* hint, hint).

On July 16th, 2011, one of the most popular cigar communities – Brothers Of The Leaf (BOTL) has scheduled another annual BOTL HERF 2011 to celebrate and recognize the passion of cigar smoking. For those who are not familiar with the urban term herf, it is simply a gathering of cigar smokers who meet in a central location, or virtually, to share their appreciation of fine cigars. Upon arrival at the event, I was greeted by fellow comrades with an unexpected gift pack full of quality and hard-to-find cigars. Even though I have experienced this so many times, I’m still pleasantly surprised at the generosity and selflessness of cigar smokers. Friends, people you just met, strangers are always willing to share and go an extra mile to help each other out – quality that is lacking in today’s world. The BOTL HERF’s agenda was simple: smoke cigars, converse, smoke cigars, play cards, smoke cigars, enjoy delicious BBQ provided by The Brownstone (* Yes, The Brownstone from The Housewives of NJ), and … smoke cigars. Personally, I have smoked the following: Liga Privada No9, Tatuaje Barclay Rex 100th Anniversary and Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero. In addition to great smokes, I have enjoyed friendly atmosphere, great camaraderie and look forward to future BOTL HERFs. Thanks to all for organizing it and your generosity !

In march of 2011 we have reviewed Liga Privada T52 ‘Flying Pig’ and now it is time to photograph and smoke its “twin brother” – Liga Privada No9 ‘Flying Pig.’ Although both T52 and No9 are quality products, for some reason folks subscribe to one or the other, not necessarily both. Personally, my preference goes toward the latter. I have tried T52 in different vitolas but I do find myself reaching for No9 99% of the time. My “poison” is No9 toro and I can smoke those back to back, and some. Let’s get back to the ‘piggy‘, shall we ?

Visually, there was not much difference between No9 and T52. Same size, same format, same super fancy pigtail, tightly packed. Wrapper’s texture however was very different. T52 was known to be very toothy where No9 felt and looked “silky smooth.” Lots of oils with no visible veins nor seams. After clipping the pigtail and lighting the cigar, excellent draw. Considering large ring gauge and tightly packed tobacco, I’m always amazed at how good of a draw one can experience while smoking Flying Pig. In flavor department, notes of wood / cedar at the beginning with touch of chocolate / sweetness in the middle and toward the end. Very small amount of spice, almost undetectable, in my personal experience. Burn, ash, amount of smoke … nearly perfection. Liga Privada No9, flying pig or parejo, is The “Chu Chu Train” of the cigar industry. This cigar produces so much smoke that sometimes it is overwhelming. From photography perspective, as you can see below, this is the ultimate “model.”

If you enjoy Liga Privada No9, the ‘Flying Pig’ should be up your alley as well. The unique format should add that extra excitement to the overall experience. Personally, I will continue to enjoy both No9 and T52 piggys in my rotation but my disposable cash will most likely go toward parejo vitolas.

This week we are reviewing a Tatuaje ‘Pork Tenderloin.’ Another B&M exclusive collaboration between Pete Johnson of Tatuaje and Gloucester Street Cigar shop located in Boston, MA. As the name suggests, ‘Pork Tenderloin’ is part of the “Meat Locker” series which also includes Tatuaje ‘Porkchop’ release. I have not had a chance to try the latter but based on the feedback, ‘Pork Tenderloin’ has been labeled as the creme of the crop. Those that were fortunate enough to buy a bundle (* this cigar was not available in the box) are most likely hoarding this specimen or selling it and making a ridiculous profit. I have seen ‘Pork Tenderloin’ selling for $20-25 per stick vs. $8 when originally purchased via bundle.

From visual perspective, Tatuaje ‘Pork Tenderloin’ was a “good” looking cigar. On the cover, smooth and slightly oily wrapper with one visible vein and smooth seams. Triple cap finish with much appreciated pigtal. In addition, the cigar had a slight box-press finish to it and no band. On the cold draw, slight hint of spice. After lighting it up, the experience continued with excellent draw and just the right amount of spice. The first third introduced a hint of dark chocolate which ultimately morphed into a delicious and overwhelming, in a good way, amount of espresso. At times, it felt like I was sipping on cafecito instead of smoking a cigar. The burn wasn’t perfect at the beginning but improved with time. Ash, as depicted below, was white and fell off in ~1″ chunks.

I had extremely high expectations for Tatuaje ‘Pork Tenderloin’ and fortunately it delivered. It was probably one of the best Tatuaje cigars I have smoked and from my personal perspective, it did circles around Tatuaje Black (jar release). I honestly don’t remember where I was when this cigar was released but I know that I missed out, big time. If you can find a single, 5-pack or a box, don’t even think twice about it, buy it before I do !

This week we are reviewing one of the latest projects released by the mastermind Ernesto Perez Carrillo – EP Carrillo Maduro. Roughly a month ago, I have received a sampler pack from Ernesto Perez Carrillo III which included line extension, core line, and three sizes of Maduro. I have smoked Club 52 (toro) Maduro couple weeks ago and selected Encantos (robusto) for this review.

Visually, this cigar is a winner, full stop. Undetectable veins / seams and extremely well applied cap. The EP Carrillo Maduro looks like an artistic painting with brown / red paint mixed and splattered over the wrapper. Very appealing. Delicate, yet slightly toothy, to the touch. After clipping and lighting, I was introduced to a perfect draw and great amount of smoke. In flavor department, accolades continue. Detectable sweetness, nuttiness, and darker chocolate toward the end of the smoke. Very small amount of spice throughout the experience, even on the retrohale. The EP Carrillo Maduro burned like a champ. Fairly straight burn line and no touch ups in both samples, can’t ask for more. Dark grey ash fell of twice so definitely a ‘long-ash’ contender.

In conclusion, Ernesto Perez Carrillo has managed to release another successful, and box worthy project. Although EP Carrillo Maduro is a departure from overly spicy bombs that are released to the masses nowadays, one will surely appreciate the sweetness and accompanying flavors. Personally, I found Club 52 (toro) more enjoyable flavor-wise than Encantos (robusto) but both vitolas will provide an enjoyable experience.

This week we are photographing and reviewing one of my favorite vitolas and always enjoyable brand – Oliva Cain F lancero. In May of 2011, I attended a local Studio Tobac event with the Ambassador himself – Bryan ‘The Show’ Scholle and Dave Wagner – Oliva’s VP of Sales in attendance. Both were extremely generous with different Studio Tobac projects and I was able to walk away with few samples of Oliva Cain F lancero and some. I smoked my first sample couple weeks after the event and second for this review. Both experiences were similar with latter being more enjoyable and ‘refined.’

The construction of the cigar was close to perfect. From visual perspective, carefully applied cap, toothy-free wrapper, no visible veins nor seams gave this lancero high marks right out of the gate. After clipping and lighting it, I was introduced to a perfect draw. Considering difficulty of lancero format, another plus ! In flavor department, wow … if you enjoy spice and pepper, this is your ultimate ‘poison.’ From the very first to the very last puff, overwhelming, in a good way, amount of spice. There were some notes of woodiness and small bits of floral taste toward the end but i can not stress enough the amount of spice. Burn was perfect and did not need any touchups – another extra plus. Ash, which was extremely light in color, was fairly tight and would fall down in 1.5″ chunks.

The last few and frequent puffs to get the last photograph made me realize that this cigar was not only shining with the spice but it was also packing major strength, at least in my case. I will definitely include Oliva Cain F lancero in my rotation and if you enjoy spicy / full strength cigars, consider a box purchase.

On July 21st, 2011 we have announced a ‘JJ for JJ Day’ Tribute / Contest. The rules were simple – “On July 22nd, 2011, gather virtually with the rest of the cigar community and smoke a Don Pepin Garcia ‘Series JJ’ (* or one of the MyFather Cigars). Take a photograph of yourself smoking a ‘Series JJ’ cigar and submit it via email to jay at cigarphoto.net.” Although the announcement went live fairly late, a lot of cigar smokers were eager to participate and show much appreciated support. Submissions for the contest were sent by people from different walks of life: cigar brand owners, cigars reps, cigar bloggers, cigar smokers, etc.

The announcement of such Tribute carried a bittersweet feeling for obvious reasons but after Jerry’s blessing, ‘My Father Le Bijou 1922′ contest went live. Before we announce the winner, I would like to share with all of you, few, very kind and emotional words that came directly through my mailbox. I’m sure Jerry Cruz and his family will appreciate them as well:

Sebastian C – My first son past away 30 days from SIDS and I know the effects of this first-hand! Don’t know if I can find a “JJ” series in my area but I will definitely try! If not I will still smoke something in honor of his son! God Bless Him and His Family – Long Ashes to everyone!

Shawn P – I had a nephew who passed away at 20 months old. On his headstone it reads: “Playing with the Angels”.
Now, me being a father of a 5month baby girl, this day really hits home to me. I couldn’t imagine the loss of my daughter and my heart goes out to Jerry and his family today.

William C – I typically don’t enter contests, but this is obviously an exception. In the spirit of things, if by some chance I am the lucky one, I’d like to donate the box to the troops or someplace else.

Jon H – Let me know if there’s anything else I can do. Very generous and thoughtful of you. It’s people such as yourself that make me grateful to be involved in this industry.

Barry S – This year I am making a donation to the American SIDS Institute in memory of Jermiah Cruz Jr for $100. To all those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, I remind you, “Those who we keep in our hearts, are with us forever”.

Ben L – As a father myself, this is gut wrenching. Thank you for your support.

David J – Today is the 4th Annual Smoke a JJ for JJ Day, begun by our friend, Jerry Cruz of Stogie Review in honor of his son, JJ, who would celebrating his 4th birthday today if his life were not cut short by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). If you have money to spare, consider sending a donation to the American SIDS Institute.

Mitch G – With the hopes that no parents will have to endure a loss like this again.

Jacob K – I had the Serie JJ Robusto and Serie JJ Maduro Robusto. One in honor of each of my young children and both in remembrance to JJ Cruz.

Rhonda B – My heart goes out for all who are affected by SIDS.

Matt M – If by some chance I win, I don’t want the cigars. Ship them to Jerry.

Charly G – As a father like you (Jerry), I’ve been smoking the stick and thinking about how fortunate I am to have my daughter in my life. All life is precious, no matter how big, how small, how short, or how long. I wish you (Jerry) and your family the absolute best.

And the winner of the My Father Le Bijou 1922 ‘petit robusto’ box is … Jacob K (image # 23)

We are deviating from cigar photography today to recognize a special day – ‘ JJ for JJ Day.’ Cigar community gathers every year on July 22nd to honor the memory of the ‘Little Robusto.’ For those who are not familiar with this tribute, ‘Little Robusto’, who passed away at the age of 3.5months from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the son of widely recognized and respected cigar blogger – Jerry Cruz (stogiereview.com). This special day is recognized by smoking a cigar made by Don Pepin Garcia, appropriately called ‘Series JJ.’

In 2010, my fellow blogger and a friend – Barry Stein from acigarsmoker.com has initiated a generous fundraiser to recognize the ‘Little Robusto.’ We are now in 2011 and I would like to echo Barry’s generosity and continue with the tradition.

This year we are announcing a very simple contest. Tomorrow, on July 22nd, 2011, gather virtually with the rest of the cigar community and smoke a Don Pepin Garcia ‘Series JJ’ (* or one of the MyFather Cigars). Take a photograph of yourself smoking a ‘Series JJ’ cigar and submit it via email to jay at cigarphoto.net. Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm EDT on July 22nd, 2011. Random winner will be selected and announced on Monday, July 25th, 2011. All photographs will be posted on cigarphoto.net blog. Winner will receive a box of My Father Le Bijou 1922.

It is time for another ‘forbidden fruit.’ This time we are smoking highly recommended and highly rated by other cigar aficionados – Montecristo Sublimes LE 2008. Format of the cigar was not necessarily my favorite but positive feedback brought this box to the front of the humidor. The cigar itself had a slightly toothy wrapper with visible veins and visible seams. Not the prettiest kid on the block. After clipping the cigar, I was introduced to a fairly snug draw. I kept rolling the cigar in my fingers throughout the entire experience to improve the air flow but unfortunately I had to tough it out in both samples. In flavor department, delicious sweetness and ‘creamy’ texture right out of the gate. Your typical Montecristo woody notes followed right after and coated the palette. Toward the middle of the cigar, a bit of spice and nutty / caramel flavors stepped to the front. The burn was mediocre. It would begin to burn evenly and then progress toward that ‘wonky’ burn with accumulation of ash. Speaking of ash, dark grey, tight, falling off in 1″+ chunks.

Overall, decent experience but not what I read nor heard about the ‘classic’ Montecristo Sublimes LE 2008. I have few left and I will continue to age them in lower humidity humidor to see if that will have a positive impact on the tight draw.

‘Cigar Industry In Focus‘ series is back and in full swing. This week we are placing Pete Johnson of Tatuaje in focus.

About a month ago I drove down to Holt’s Cigar Company in Philadelphia to hang out with fellow cigar aficionados, talk cigars, smoke cigars, and breath cigars. I knew that Pete was stopping by as well so I grabbed my trusty Nikon, couple lenses, flashes and took T-Pike South to famous Philly. There is definitely a lot of Tatuaje followers out there so getting that 15min to pull a quick photoshoot came with patience. Holt’s itself was packed so the only option was outdoor / busy Walnut Street “studio.” Pete had no objections and moved like a ‘seasoned model’ in front of the camera. After few up-close, side, from-the-back frames, we were all done and working through the rest of Tatuaje stogies.

In reference to Pete / Tatuaje, we were busy chatting about released products, upcoming prototypes, Saints & Sinners project so no official interview. Having said that, I read an interview that Pete did with Cigar Press Magazine back in 2007 that folks should re-visit.

In the spirit of celebrating 4th of July with explosives and smoke, I followed my fellow cigar smokers and decided to pull couple Tatuaje ‘M80′ samples. This powerhouse cigar is another exclusive collaboration between Pete Johnson of Tatuaje and Dave Garofalo of 2 Guys Smoke Shop. Similar to many other Tatuaje exclusives, M80 arrived in quantity of 333 boxes and sold out in a matter of days. The expectation that was set for Tatuaje M80 was: full, bold, power, spice … yes, if you are a mild connecticut aficionado, you should skip this release. Visually, this cigar along with carefully applied pigtail, or I should say long fuse, resembles its predecessor – Don Pepin Garcia ‘Firecracker.’ There are few other firecracker look-alikes in the cigar industry. I collected and photographed four of them for your viewing pleasure (* see below photograph / left to right: Don Pepin Garcia ‘Firecracker’; Tatuaje ‘M80′; 601 ‘La Bomba’; Viaje ‘TNT’). Clearly, no longer a novelty.

Let’s take a look at the Tatuaje ‘M80′ in more details. The construction of this petite robusto is excellent. No visible seams and one not too obtrusive vein. Packed to the gills, feeling like one solid piece of handmade art. Right from the start, good amount of smoke throughout the entire experience. Couple touch-ups along the way but no negative impact on the bottom line. To my surprise, I was able to extract some sweetness on more than one occasion. Perfect complement to obvious spice and heavy ‘dark’ flavors. Speaking of dark … when I think of dark chocolate, I think of few recently smoked cigars: Oliva Master Blends 1 & Cohiba Genios. Tatuaje ‘M80′ takes dark chocolate to another level. Very heavy, full, bordering bitter, dark chocolate. Somewhere in between, slight hint of leather. Tatuaje ‘M80′ was blessed with tight and light grey ash falling in one inch chunks.

This was indeed a different experience. I faced Tatuaje ‘M80′ right after heavy dinner so I have to blame lack of expected nicotine buzz on a) full stomach or b) immune system. Nevertheless, if you enjoy full body cigars with ‘dark’ flavors, Tatuaje ‘M80′ should definitely be up your alley.

This week we are reviewing another one of those ‘hard to find’ cigars – Oliva Master Blends in churchill size. This gem came and went many moons ago but I was able to purchase a five pack back in JAN2011 for $50 back. Every time I smoke Oliva Master Blends 3, there is at least one fellow smoker who will ask the same question “Did you ever try MB1 ?” Six months later I decided to pull them out and give them a try. I’m glad I did.

As stated in my Oliva Serie V No4 review, I have a soft spot when it comes to Oliva cigars but the original Master Blends, in my personal opinion, is the creme of the crop, full stop. Cigar’s construction was close to flawless. No visible seams with one not too obtrusive vein. After snipping carefully applied cap, I was introduced to perfect draw. Not too loose, not too tight, just how the doctor prescribed. Right off the bet, insane amount of smoke that made my photography session that much more enjoyable. Burn line was excellent with zero touch-ups throughout churchill 1:45min experience. Ash was nice and tight and would detach in 1.5″ chunks. In flavor department, this cigar shined like Chicago’s bean on a sunny day – that good ! Cigar kicked off with noticeable sweetness on the tip and subsequently turned into enjoyable nuttiness, chocolate and well balanced spice. Core flavors were present throughout the entire experience with chocolate turning into dark / bitter, but still enjoyable, chocolate. Interestingly enough, the amount of chocolate / sweetness reminded me of Cohiba Genios review. Whether that is another compliment or not, you be the judge.

Clearly, an enjoyable experience. I’m confident to take this even further and say that this is one of the best cigars I have smoked in 2011 and probably in my Top5 of cigars I have EVER smoked. I was trying to impress Dave Wagner – Oliva’s VP of Sales at a local Studio Tobac event with my Oliva Master Blends possession only to be told that Oliva has a substantial MB 1 /2 cushion. So much for my 5pack collection :). I have been told about ongoing Oliva Master Blends 1 / 2 resurrection plans. Let’s hope those come to fruition. When so, make sure you track a box, if not more.

This week we are reviewing Quesada Seleccion Espana in a corona size. If you are wondering why you haven’t seen or heard about ‘Espana’, it is because this specific line is being marketed in Spain. Luckily, few selected shops in US were fortunate enough to add this gem to their inventory. Unfortunately, for us, cigar smokers, quantity was limited and interest very high. Fume Cigars was one of the few lucky shops able to bring all three vitolas: petito robusto, robusto, and cigar I’m reviewing today, corona.

Quesada Seleccion Espana was definitely a roller-coaster to say the least. I’m smoking my third sample as I type this review and this cigar definitely falls into ‘third time’s the charm’ expression category. I continue to appreciate the fact that we are smoking hand made products and that should be taken into consideration when construction of particular cigar is described. Having said that, I believe it is acceptable to expect a decent draw and construction. Well, unfortunately that was not the case with first two samples. Tight draw, lack of flavor, twig were the unfortunate highlights. Second sample showed drastic improvement after ‘manual’ intervention so I knew that Quesada Seleccion Espana had a huge potential.

Full circle and we are back to third sample. Experience made an obvious 180 and was aligned with what fellow cigar smokers Brooks & Ben have described to me. In flavor department, I was able to extract enjoyable coffee, sweetness and woodiness. I was hoping for a hint of spice to balance the previous two but unfortunately that wasn’t the case, even on the retrohale. In addition, but less noticeable, was lingering chocolaty / nutty flavor on the palate. Compared to the first & second sample, the last cigar turned into a smoke machine. The amount of smoke, when puffed / resting, reminded me of Liga Privada No9 and for those who smoked LP9 know how much smoke this cigar can produce. Burned was excellent and no touch-ups were needed. Decent 3/4″ tight ash pimped the front of the cigar.

As you can tell, this was definitely a peak/valley experience. If I was to judge Quesada Seleccion Espana solely on the first two cigars, I don’t think I would have made a lot of friends in Quesada family. However, after smoking third sample, I’m glad I bought a box of Quesada Seleccion Espana coronas. I’m being told that petit robustos are as delicious as coronas and therefore I’m putting them on the ‘to-buy’ list.

Back at the beginning of FEB2011, I kicked off the Cigar Photography blog with few Cohiba Behike 54 photographs and I promised to come back to this cigar in June. The time has come ! I wanted this 5 pack to sit for at least 6 months to get recommended rest. Box Date is JUN2010, it was added to my collection back in DEC2010 and it was pulled out in JUN2011. In addition, my son turned 1 at the beginning of June and I wanted to celebrate his birthday with something different. Cohiba Behike was selected to be that lucky specimen. Enough of the history !

In visual appearance department, Cohiba Behike is definitely an attractive cigar. A very unique band and carefully applied pigtail add that extra umph to the overall package. Although there were some visible seams and veins, I was laser focused on the band and overall presentation. The cigar was rolled very well without any noticeable soft / hard spots. Draw was slightly snug for my preference but I did notice improvement with time. As for as burn goes, I was not impressed. I can appreciate the fact that we are smoking hand-made products but I have smoked many cigars at fraction of the cost which were razor-sharp. Cohiba Behike was far from it. It had its ups and downs, burned straight, then went wavy, then corrected itself, then back to wavy, etc. In flavor department, definitely spice from the beginning to finish with a peak in the middle. I was able to extract woody, earthy, and slightly chocolaty notes throughout the experience. Creamy in texture smoke was very limited up front but increased in volume with time.

Now, one will probably ask the obvious – Is it worth the price tag of $40 ?. In my personal and humble opinion, no ! I pulled the cigar out of the box with extremely high expectation and at the end, I was left disappointed. Did it burn ok ? Tasted ok ? Looked ok ? Absolutely Yes ! Did it delivery 4 times the experience of $10 cigar ? Absolutely Not ! I have split the box with a friend and unfortunately his experience was the same. I poked around the net and found mixed feedback. Some swear by it, some are aligned with my thoughts. Clearly I’m not the only one. I’m glad I still have 4 left and I plan on smoking them to recognize my son’s birthdays. I would recommend trying at least 1-2 Cohiba Behikes but I would certainly not chase a box.

This week we are taking a look at Viaje Platino Reserva Double Torpedo, or for those who prefer acronyms, VPR DT. This is one of the latest ‘macro’ releases from Andre Farkas of Viaje and a follow-up to 2010 Viaje Platino Reserva #6. Viaje Platino Reserva DT 5packs were available as pre-release via Tobacco Grove in limited quantity. As expected after the announcement, Viaje followers brought Tobacco Grove’s website to its knees and were unable to place online orders. I was fortunate enough to lay my hands on a nutritious 10pack. Without further ado, I present to you – A Tripple Band Monster :)

Considering my artistic skills, I would like to call out Andre’s design team and point out the chaotic band look that was created around the cigar. Although I can appreciate color wheel contrast, from purpose and color perspective, this cigar would have looked a lot classier with one of the LE bands. See photograph #7 and draw your own conclusion. Moving on to the actual cigar. Pre-light inspection: well applied wrapper, blended seams, one noticeable vein, double torpedo (* both ends closed), overall visual appearance / construction – flawless. I cut both ends with my trusty Palio cutter. In burning department, fairly tight ash falling off in 3/4″ inch dark-grey chunks. Slightly wavy burn line which corrected itself multiple times throughout the experience. As for as flavors, if I was to label this cigar with one identifier, I would say – SPICE throughout the entire cigar. Second would be woodiness with hints of chocolate and nuttiness. Definitely some bitterness in all three parts.

Overall, good cigar but in my humble opinion, not box worthy, especially considering the price tag. I will let the rest of the pack rest for few more months to see if the cigar will mature, drop the bitterness and balance a bit more.

Ruben’s Smoke Stack is a special place. Not only you will find an excellent selection of boutique cigars but you will also find plenty of camaraderie, peace, relaxation and last but surely not least, plenty of comfortable couches. The Stack is owned and managed by Ruben Abreu, a man with a vision, interest in great cigars and fine palate. There are many cigars shops in New Jersey but I only frequent two of them and Ruben’s place gets most of my attention. On average, there is one event every month with great prices, delicious food, and raffles. Ruben keeps up with trends and chases top boutique manufacturers to satisfy customer’s hunger. The list of brands available at the Ruben’s smoke Stack is too long to list but you will find a wide variety of Tatuaje, Padron, Illusione, Viaje, La Aurora, Miami Cigars, La Flor Dominicana, My Father, Oliva, Alec Bradley, and many, many other. (LIST)

From Ruben’s site: Established in 1997, the Smoke Stack has been providing cigars and relaxation ever since. January 2006 marked a change in the fate and the name of the Smoke Stack. Upon the transfer of ownership, Ruben’s Smoke Stack was born. Ruben’s Smoke Stack retains the same great relaxing environment, while adding a new bit of Ruben’s personality. Add features like the new big screen TV in the front seating area, to the new Members Only Lounge in the back, to the already luxurious humidor and your comfort is assured. At Ruben’s Smoke Stack, we strive to ensure that when you are in our “lounge”, that you are embracing the definition of the word. Amenities include a big screen TV, espresso maker, customer access computer and much more…and, oh yeah, did we forget to mention cigars?!?

After last week’s Studio Tobac Tour photoshoot, we are continuing with Oliva bandwagon and bringing a limited production – Olive Serie V No4. This specimen is unfortunately limited to the European market and US B&M cigar shops which are part of The Tobacconists’ Association of America – a trade organization established in 1968 by visionary retail tobacconists. Future and broader availability of this size was one of the topics I discussed with Dave Wagner – Oliva’s VP of Sales. Although I wasn’t able to nail this one down, I walked away from this conversation with a feeling that availability is certainly not out of the question. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

I have a soft spot when it comes to Oliva cigars. I have smoked through tons of Os, Gs, Vs and Connecticut but my favorite has to be 2008 Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial. Clearly, V No4 had a high expectation. Thankfully it didn’t disappoint. The format of the cigar was simply brilliant. If you are in a pinch and in need of a quick smoke, this slightly thicker Petite Corona is a godsend. In flavor department, as one would expect from Serie V, we are talking about spice, woodiness, and nuttiness mixed with some chocolaty hints. From ash/burn perspective, more accolades. Light grey ash with relatively sharp burn line.

I was able to lay my hands on few samples few weeks ago due to generosity of a fellow cigar smoker. Fortunately I was able to track down a box of Oliva Serie V No4 this week and I’m happy to say that it is in route as I type this review. If you can locate a TAA shop in your neighborhood, give them a call. You will not be disappointed. My fellow cigar smokers – Walt from StogieReview and Steve from SmokingStogie were as equally pleased as I was.

The Studio Tobac Tour finally made its appearance in the Garden State – New Jersey. Bryan ‘The Show’ Scholle – Studio’s Ambassador, Dave Wagner – Oliva’s VP of Sales, Richard Delia – regional Rep, and Special Edition 2011 Touring Corvette were all in attendance. In case you wonder about Studio Tobac project, please find a summary from Studio Tobac website.

Studio Tobac was born within the Oliva Cigar Company in 2007. It is a collection of the company’s most innovative minds. Studio Tobac consists of an Executive Board of Directors, A Studio Ambassador, an advisory board comprised of independent cigar enthusiasts around the world, as well as General Membership. For over three years the Studio has conceived innovative projects like the renowned NUB cigar. A cigar which introduced a complete new format in premium handmade cigars to the industry. The Studio also successfully produced the CAIN cigar. Cain is the only STRAIGHT LIGERO cigar in the world. These and many more projects exist within the portfolio of Studio Tobac. For 2011 the Executive Board decided to open the Studio to the cigar smoking world. The Board further moved to establish an advisory board to be selected by invitation, as well as a General Membership available to cigar enthusiasts from all over the world.

The Studio Tobac Tour was hosted by B&M shop in Montclair, NJ – ‘FUME.’ I have attended one of the NUB events a year ago so I had a certain level of expectation. Fortunately, Studio Tobac crew exceeded that expectation. All around great, down to earth, opinionated yet open minded fellow cigar smokers. Weaseling doesn’t exist in my vocabulary but both Dave and Bryan were persistent and I was fortunate enough to walk away with few Cain F lanceros (Tour exclusive), ST-DS001 prototype, and Cain Daytona. THANK YOU !

What sets Studio Tobac Tour apart from previous tour is the innovation The Ambassador brings forward. Bryan ‘The Show’ Scholle is not only applying the wrapper but he is also blending, bunching, rolling, and innovating right on the spot. This ‘southern boy’ who is moving & grooving to the beat of Johnny Cash and drinking fine american beer, is extremely approachable and very talented. Bryan was a good sport and agreed to step into ‘model shoes’ for quick 15min photoshoot (*see below).

For those of you who are thinking about attending Studio Tobac Tour, I encourage you to do so. Definitely an event not to be missed. On the way out, don’t forget to ping Bryan for another Studio Tobac Tour exclusive – The Donkey Punch. This Nicaraguan puro is made up of W: Habano Fuerte, B: Habano Fuerte, F: 100% Estelí ligero and has one comical band – still in prototype phase. I wish Studio Tobac and Oliva much success with this tour and future endeavours. ’til next time.

This week we are jumping back on the Tatuaje bandwagon and smoking one of my favorite vitolas – lancero. What sets this cigar apart is unconventional 6″ format, hence Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero name. This project is a collaboration between Pete Johnson of Tatuaje and Tobacco Grove B&M shop in Minnesota. Many Pete’s projects with B&M shops turned into Limited Editions so once they are sold out, they are gone forever (example: Anarchy, Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary). Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero, which I obtained couple months ago, was a pre-release with fancy pigtail and closed foot. Fortunately, as per Pete, this cigar will become a regular production line (* no pigtail / no closed foot) landing in the shop near you around July2011.

From Pete Johnson: “Production on these cigars continued immediately after the first batch. We only changed the finish. Meaning the foot was cut normal and the cap is a traditional triple cap. No pigtail. The big difference is the newer ones are packed in foil paper and the box is different. The tobacco and blend is the same.”

Black Label / Lancero combination had enormous impact on availability and sale of this product. I was fortunate to secure a total of 15 sticks from two fellow BOTL. I have smoked through 6 of them and each one provided an unforgettable experience. Starting with flawless wrapper, excellent construction and good burn. Not easy to achieve with lancero, especially the burn & draw. If you can appreciate cigar flavor complexity, you don’t have to look any further. Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero will provide you exactly that, and some. Appropriate amount of spice without tasting like a spice-bomb, chocolate, cocoa, a touch of cinnamon and hint of floral notes are some of the characteristics of this cigars. If you are from North East and are familiar with NYC roasted nuts’ smell and taste, get ready for nut-fest. In construction department, one should expect light gray / almost white ash and close to perfect burn. Out of six samples only one had a minor hiccup where I had to re-light few times but considering the lancero format, personally, this is a nonissue.

If I was to rate this cigar with a numerical value, we are looking at 95+ home-run. I’m definitely picking up a cabinet when regular production becomes available. Good job, Pete !

It is time for another ‘forbidden fruit.’ This time we are smoking Cohiba Genios, a maduro version of widely recognized Cohiba brand. Some refer to Genios as aesthetically pleasant, vein & seam free, silky smooth cigar. My visual experience was quite the opposite. Although overall presentation, including dark wrapper and classy looking Cohiba band, was extremely appealing, the wrapper itself looked fairly rough & grainy with noticeable seams. In addition, not as oily as described by fellow cigar smokers. I’m not picky when it comes to the appeal but I did have high expectation for Cohiba Genios in flavor department. Fortunately, the cigar didn’t disappoint.

First third didn’t deliver much. A touch of spice and coffee came on and off every few puffs. Right around second third, just when I was about to check out, Cohiba Genios’ flavors ramped up to the point where my mouth was salivating and lusting more complexity. Insane amount of chocolate, sweetness, nuttiness, with refined spicy notes, came through almost each puff. Total bliss ! Entire second and large portion of last third continued in the same fashion. Draw was excellent and burn, although not razor sharp, was close to perfection. Cigar burned without any touch-ups throughout entire experience.

This is my third Cohiba Genios and all three delivered fairly equal experience. If you are questioning Cohiba brand and enjoy rich maduros, this is the specimen to seek out. Absolute pleasure !

Cigar circle has a phrase called – ‘special cigar.’ Although conceptually I don’t subscribe to this philosophy, once in a blue moon I will reach for a cigar that has been aging for months or years to mark a specific day or an event in my life. That event occurred few days ago. My 10month old son, who brought so much happiness to my life, looked at my eyes and spontaneously pronounced ‘ta-ta’ (* daddy in our household). My heart melted and eyes began to water. That was indeed a special moment. I had something else lined up to be photographed and smoked but I decided to mark that day with something ‘rare’, hence Padrón Family Reserve 46 Years Maduro.

Visually, Padrón cigars, especially Anniversary series, are close to perfection. I have yet to smoke Padrón which had a bad construction or burned incorrectly. This sample wasn’t any different. Flawlessly applied toothy wrapper with well blended seams. Standard Padrón band and red/gold rich 46 Years band add tons of elegance to already perfect cigar. Although my favorite vitola size ranges from lancero to corona gorda, I have to say that this 56″ Padrón format didn’t cause an adverse experience. In flavor department, Padrón is an example of well balanced experience. Cigar presented just the right amount of spice without tasting like a ‘typical’ nicaraguan spice bomb. Mixed between was delicious cocoa and chocolate with rounded sweetness. Woodiness and leathery taste were present as well, especially in second and third part of the cigar. I usually don’t talk about mouth dryness but I have to point out that Padrón Family Reserve 46 Years Maduro caused an excessive salivation. Is it good or bad ? You be the judge :)

Overall, great experience with another Padrón. I’m thrilled that I bought a box and I’m looking forward to seeing how additional aging will impact the cigar. Starting last week, when I think of Padrón Family Reserve 46 Years Maduro, I think of ‘ta-ta.’ Thanks for being part of my personal family journey !

CigarPhoto is coming back from a well deserved vacation in exotic and pleasantly warm – Jamaica. There is nothing more relaxing than laying on the beach, listening to the ocean, sipping on delicious caribbean rum and puffing on nutritious cigars. Simply … bliss. My trusty travel humidor was once again recharged with quality ‘ammunition’ ranging from classic Partagas, Montecristos, Padrons, Davidoffs, to latest releases from Tatuaje & Viaje. Although the hotel had some indoor smoking restrictions, I was able to freely enjoy few stogies on the ocean-front-view 4th floor balcony (*pix below). For those who had enough of water and/or sun, hotel had a cigar lounge with a decent cuban humidor and a bar. One was able to find your standard Cohibas, Montes, RyJs, H. Upmanns, etc. All bases covered !

Below you find continuation of my ‘The Cigar Smoker’ project and few extra photographs taken on the balcony and by the inifinity pool. Hopefully you will enjoy this Cigar/Jamaican recap as much as I did the actual trip. As they say in Jamaica … “No problem, Mon.“

If you are into Limited Editions / Limited Releases, don’t look any further. Viaje goes above and beyond to satisfy that hunger. There are weeks / months were Viaje is releasing a ‘new’ extension, so to stay on top of the game, one has to have a healthy budget as well as be plugged into the social media 24/7. This week we are sacrificing short smoke appropriately called Viaje Exclusivo Shorts. Living in the North East, I’m always looking for relatively short ~30-45min stogie which I can enjoy during cold season. Despite ‘Exclusivo’ identifier and limited count of 100 boxes of 50 cigars, I was able to identify 2-3 shops that were willing to ship. Perhaps not so limited after all.

Construction of the cigar was visually pleasing, including ‘fancy’ pigtail. Couple visible veins with otherwise well blended seams. One of my pet-peeves in the cigar is lack of smoke but in case of Viaje Exclusivo Shorts, this is a non-issue. On the second / third puff, this short stogie was producing an enormous ‘creamy’ cloud. Although the burn line was razor sharp, the ash itself had that ‘alligator’ looking finish. No negative impact on the flavor which started with noticeable amount of spice / pepper. The experience was a roller-coaster with spice in one puff and sweetness / coffee in another. In between, I was able to extract woody / nutty taste which lingered in the background. Overall, excellent stick which I will definitely add to my rotation. However, there is one BUT. Price !!! I don’t mind paying for a good stick which delivers enjoyable and relatively lengthy experience. In case of Viaje Exclusivo Shorts, the former is acceptable, the latter – not. Too pricey for the size.

Cigar industry is blooming … period. Not only we are seeing quality products out on the market but cigar smokers and aficionados can now discuss those products in-person with manufacturers. On Sunday, 03APR2011, that opportunity presented itself in New Jersey. Riverfront Stadium, the home of the Newark Bears was the home of the 1st New Jersey Cigar Festival. David Mallow, mastermind behind this project and the owner of Barrister cigar shop, despite questionable weather and last minute obstacles, was able to pull of a pretty good event. In reference to manufacturers, one was able to chat with few of the heavy hitters in the cigar industry: Miami Cigar & Company; Alec Bradley; Drew Estate; Joya de Nicaragua; Reinado; Rocky Patel; Los Blancos; Maraya; Martin Family; Villiger; Xikar as well as CRA; The Guayabera Lady; The Metropolitan Society; Smoke N Lounge.

David Mallow approached me couple weeks before the Festival and asked if I was interested in coming over and photographing the event. Perfect opportunity to catch-up with fellow Brothers/Sisters Of The Leaf, chat with the manufacturers, and last but surely not least, expand my personal photo project – ‘The Cigar Smoker.’ I believe I have accomplished all three. I was able to catch up with my friend – Barry Stein from acigarsmoker.com. In manufacturer department, I finally met David Lafferty – Regional Manager at Drew Estate. We have exchanged few laughs and talked about a very ‘sensitive’ subject – ‘Liga accounts’ (* LoL !!!). It is always a pleasure to chat with Miami Cigar crew – Chris Lenzo & Arielle Ditkowich (La Sirena). To get to Arielle, one has to walk through/around couple other ‘sunday’ photographers. Next time ! A day wouldn’t be complete without chatting with a good friend of mine, Antonio Lam – the head of ‘Reinado‘ empire. I admire Antonio’s passion and wish him all the best. If you live in North Jersey and you are a cigar smoker looking for a cozy place with great camaraderie, there is nothing better than The Metropolitan Society private club. George Koodray (President) and Nick Verdi (Vice President) were present at the festival and it was a pleasure to catch up with a ‘bada bing’ crew.

Cigar smokers are unique creatures. They share, give and don’t expect much in return. Not a lot of humans can say that about themselves. Fellow Brother Of The Leaf from SRFF forum – Tadd, organized a cigar boxpass. The concept is fairly simple. An organizer or a ‘host’ confirms a list of participants and starts off with X amount of cigars. Box travels from one smoker to another and folks take what they like and put what they think another BOTL would enjoy. Couple days ago box came to my house and I chose two cigars which I was looking for but have not had a chance to purchase: Mi Barrio and Illusione HL maduro. In return I contributed toward this ‘game’ with Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero, Tatuaje ‘Tattoo’, Cabaiguan Imperiales, and special gift for the host – Tatuaje ‘The Frank.’ Box will be shipped to another BOTL tomorrow and the ‘game’ will continue. This type of interaction keeps cigar smoking ‘fresh’ and creates camaraderie.

This weeks we are departing from boutique space and diving into classical cigar realm – La Aurora. In the hopper is one of Aurora’s special edition preferidos – a Brazilian Sun Grown covered ‘Ruby.’ Preferido, the cigar that paved the way for manufacturing in Dominican Republic back in 1903, is a perfecto shape vitola which expands to a thick center in the middle. In addition to visually pleasing shape and sweetness off the wrapper, the Special Edition red-jet metal tube adds another dimension to the product. From photographer’s perspective, I was really looking forward to incorporating the color, shape and finish of the metal tube into the ‘set.’

Holding 5/54 La Aurora Preferidos makes me want to see Liga Privada Flying Pig in the same vitola. That would be a pleasure to hold and smoke, wouldn’t it ? The ‘Ruby‘ itself is very well compacted and covered with extremely toothy wrapper. One visible vein with otherwise well blended seams. Initial few puffs produced extreme amount of smoke – thumbs up ! In flavor department, delicious sweetness mixed with wood and characteristics of leather. Throughout the cigar, and especially through retrohale and toward the end, fair amount of spice. Thick and razor sharp burn line, light grey and tight ash scored high in construction department. All around great experience, great cigar and stand up company.

From photographer’s perspective, as stated above, this was nothing but a pleasure. In the spirit of thinking ‘outside of the box‘, I went little extreme and incorporated snow (* yes, we still have snow) into the shoot. Sun rays immediately melted the snow and left spontaneously positioned water drops - bulls-eye.

Nosotros project was a collaboration between two industry giants, Dion Giolito of Illusione and Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate. Nosotros cigars were rolled by Drew Estate in Nicaragua. I was gifted my first Nosotros by Jonathan Drew at one of the cigar events in local B&M cigar shops in New Jersey. When I look back, I shake my head because at that event I was still craving a Nosotros sample after receiving couple pre-release Dirty Rats. We all know where both cigars are now in regard to popularity. I smoked gifted Nosotros sample few days later and due to high expectations, I was far from being impressed. Reading other reviews online, my experience was within the same bracket. I have since purchased few different viotolas and although the overall package has improved, I still wasn’t fully satisfied. I decided to rest the robusto for few more months and see if extra aging can positively impact the experience.

I smoked my last Nosotros this past weekend and I can report that cigar definitely benefited from extra aging. In construction department, cigar had a well applied Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper with few dark running veins. If you enjoy looking at dark oily wrappers, Nosotros is an extreme opposite. I can probably go to Home Depot, buy an ultra fine sandpaper and you wouldn’t know the difference – it is that ‘sandy’ to touch. Burn has improved, drastically. With my very first sample, I recall sitting there for 1.5hr with a cigar in my left hand / a lighter in my right hand and performing a touch-up procedure for equal amount of time – it was annoying. Although the burn was far from being razor sharp, I only touched it up twice. Flavors – I can’t slice this cigar into 3s since there is definitely not enough complexity. Normal puffs and retrohale presented enjoyable spice on the lips, tongue and a small amount in the back of the throat. If you enjoy ‘wood’ in your taste, there is an abundance of it in Nosotros. I was able to pick up small amount of chocolate / coffee / cocoa. The amount of smoke on the 2nd/3rd puff was out of control. Photographing the nub and ensuring that I get sufficient amount of smoke was a piece of ‘cake.’ In conclusion, one would ask “Is Nosotros Worth The Box ?” Probably not. “Few singles ?” Yes. My expectation is extremely high when it comes to Dion’s Illusione brand and Jonathan’s Liga Privada brand. I hope they continue to innovate and continue to meet my expectation. Who knows, maybe some day we will see Nosotros Take 2.

Liga Privada T52 ‘Flying Pig’ cigar left me with a bag of ‘mixed’ emotions. Vitolas that I usually buy & smoke are in corona, corona gorda, lancero territory, hence delay in smoking Flying Pig. This perfecto on horizontal steroids and lack of vertical hormones was definitely visually more pleasing from photography perspective than smoking lust. If you are into ‘NUB’ concept and enjoy wide ring gauge cigars, this is The Unicorn.

On the outside, the Piggy was packed well, really well. Extremely toothy wrapper and fancy pigtail were the main characteristics of the cigar. Although the middle of the stick was 60-wide, the foot was small enough to go up against a single flame torch lighter. The very beginning presented small amount of sweetness on the tip of the cigar. Few puffs into it, I was able to taste a bit of spice in the back of my throat. As I was going through the narrow head and working my way toward 60 ring gauge, I was putting extra effort to extract more flavor and more smoke – all without much success. Frequent retrohale didn’t help either. “Good things come to those who wait” and it came, full force. Cigar went from no smoke to smoke machine in a matter of split seconds. Fortunately same applied to the flavor department. Each puff had a good amount of cedar, cocoa, coffee, chocolate and enjoyable sweetness that lingered in the background. From burn & construction perspective, overall, very impressing. Although similar to smoke & flavor ‘questionable’ beginning, the latter part was top notch with razor-sharp burn line. Ash was tight and had a ‘clean’ / light gray look to it. See what else my colleagues have said: acigarsmoker, casas fumanfo, nice tight ash, stogie review.

This ‘freaky’ looking cigar solidified my believes and vitola size preference. Although I can appreciate the novelty, the Flying Pig concept (* not the wrapper / binder / filler combination) will continue to stay in my rotation as an occasional treat. Continuing with an animal theme, give me a Liga Privada ‘Dirty Rat’ and I will smoke that cigar back to back, day after day. Liga Privada T52 ‘Flying Pig’ was definitely an experience, both smoking wise as well as photographing it. A tremendous amount of smoke had a positive impact on last few shutter clicks – see photograph of the nub. Thanks to Drew Estate, Jonathan Drew, Steve Saka, and the gang … Well done !

Similar to Tatuaje ‘Anarchy’, Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 Rosado is a collaboration between Pete Johnson and Rick Gadway of Federal Cigar to acknowledge Federal’s anniversary. This year Valentine’s Day gift was a 10-pack of rosado ‘chocolates.’ I called Federal’s store on 14FEB 10minutes before the official order time and got a chance to speak to Rick Gadway (owner) directly. Ricky was very passionate about his new project and described the cigar as smooth and refined, not your typical Pepin’s spice bomb.

After three weeks in the humidor, it was time to light this cigar up. Although I enjoy corona / robusto vitolas and usually don’t chase long / wide cigars, there was enough internet buzz about Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 to add to already quickly growing Tatuaje Exclusive Series collection. On the outside, the construction of the reddish / brownish cigar was flawless. Closer inspection revealed slightly toothy wrapper with minimal veins. From flavor perspective, 1st third presented small amount of spice, touch of coffee and smooth smoke. 2nd third is where this cigar shined. Both normal puffs and retrohale presented something that I didn’t recall in too many cigars. I went down the Flavor Chart and pinned it to the Floral note. The flavor was more pronounced on the retrohale so I continued to retrohale every other puff to take advantage of this fairly unique experience. In addition to floral note, previously identified spice increased its intensity to more of a peppery, well pronounced spice. I was able to pin-point your typical wood / cedar and one of my favorite flavors – chocolate. Along with chocolate / coffee there was an obvious sweetness. Last third was more of the same but few levels down. Toward the end, however, sweetness and spice completely disappeared and were replaced with salty finish. From construction / burn perspective, 1st third definitely lacked a good amount of smoke. It took 2-4 puffs to get anything out of the cigar. Flood gates have opened in the 2nd third and the cigar was performing like a ‘choo-choo’ train. Excellent tight ash falling in 1″ chunks.

Overall, another great Tatuaje cigar. Kudos to Rick Gadway on well managed project. I called Rick roughly about a week after I made my purchase and expressed deep interest in Tatuaje Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary 109 Reserva – Rosado’s twin sister. Although I was disappointed with immediate ‘no, I can’t do it‘, I can appreciate an owner who is looking out for his local community & clientele and is rewarding them with a local-pick-up-only cigar.

If the size, flavor, construction … and photographs are something you might be interested in, give Rick Gadway a call @ 877-424-4270.

Let’s call this – a blast from the past. La Traviata came and went, and now sits under a ‘different’ banner. Nevertheless, it is one of those cigars that many folks will continue to go back to in order to appreciate its flavor, construction, and last but definitely not least, the price ! La Traviata created a lot of buzz on Twitter / cigar blogs at the end of 2009 because of its success and lack of inclusion in Cigar Aficionado’s 2009 ratings. I have smoked: Divino (5″x50), Radiante (6″x52), Favorito (5.5″x52) and my favorite – Animado (5 5/8″x46).

This close to full-body brand began its journey over 100 years ago in the Tabacalera Cubana, Agramonte no. 106, in Havana. CAO has resurrected the La Traviata name, abiding closely to its original Cuban roots in presentation and taste. From flavor perspective, personally, I was able to extract the following: spice at the very beginning, roasted nuts, wood, leather. All of that and more for about ~$5.50! See what else my colleagues have said: acigarsmoker, casas fumanfo, nice tight ash, stogie guys, stogie review, toasted foot – clearly, they all enjoyed it. With CAO’s fold into General Cigar Co, those who continue to enjoy La Traviata should proactively look around and stock up on few natural & maduro boxes. I would be very interested to learn about General’s strategic decisions in reference to La Traviata. Perhaps we will get to hear from the current face of the CAO company on Twitter.

From photographer’s perspective, another great ‘model.’ Beautiful and shiny wrapper with minimal flaws. Although ash itself was very flaky and dark, the burn on the cigar was razor sharp. Band looks very elegant and a pleasure to photograph.

Yet another Tatuaje cigar. If I was to describe Tatuaje ‘Anarchy’ smoking experience in one word, I would call it – chocolate. Throughout first two thirds if felt like I was eating a dark chocolate bar. I have yet to smoke a cigar which had such pronounced flavor. To keep up the excitement level, I have continued to rinse my palate with plain water only to be smacked with the dark chocolate again, and again. Other flavors that I have noticed throughout the cigar were: wood, espresso, leather, mild spice, and coffee. One should also appreciate the pigtail cap and Salomon / baseball bat look alike vitola shape. To view and read up more about intricacies of Tatuaje ‘Anarchy’, I recommend visiting the following fellow bloggers: stogiereview, acigarsmoker, toastedfoot.

As for as the ‘Anarchy’ project itself, Abe ‘Ming’ Dababneh (Smoke Inn) took it to another marketing level. There are tons of good quality cigars out on the market but some fail to shine due to lack of creative marketing campaigns. There was an abundance of innovation in collaboration between Abe ‘Ming’ Dababneh and Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson. We have now seen a numerous B&M anniversary releases. Some are very successful, some are less but overall, I have been very pleased with the final product hitting the market.

Cigarphoto.net’s mission statement is to continue to share artistic perspective of cigar smoking. Projects like Dirty Rats or Flying Pigs can be taken to the ‘dirty’ extreme with some unique outcomes and representation. Stay tuned for that ! Cigarphoto.net will also attempt to keep up with the ‘hottest’ sellers & releases and continue to make photographs and create pleasing to the eye art. I have both Tatuaje Federal 90th Anniversary 109 and Tatuaje Black Label Petite Lancero resting in the humidor and screaming for photo session. Stay tuned !

AJ Fernandez has delivered few good quality cigars recently and for me, personally, Ave Maria Lionheart (Box-press) has become my favorite AJ cigar. As stated in my ‘About‘ section, cigarphoto.net will concentrate on the visual and high level experience and attempt to link to other blogs for in-depth review. I’m going to agree with my fellow cigar ‘colleague’ (*beaverc32) who posted the following review on stogiereview.com and positively echo the construction & flavor departments of Ave Maria. If you pay attention to those two during smoking experience, you will definitely enjoy Ave Maria. Although slightly ‘flashy’, from photographer’s perspective, Ave Maria’s band is probably in my top 3. A pleasure to photograph ! I have a soft spot when it comes to history so in addition to band itself, I can truly appreciate the reference to Richard The Lionheart.

2010 Halloween and another limited release by Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson. 2010 had 3rd installment of the “Monster Series” – this one is called “The Face” after Leatherface. Pete sold 666 limited edition boxes of 13 to 13 retailers on the 13th of October and 1300 plain boxes of 10 in the week of Halloween to his top 130 retailers. I consider myself lucky to own all previous “Monster Series” boxes. Getting Frank or Boris nowadays is like chasing a ghost or shooting in the dark – close to impossible. 2010 was slightly different. I called few ‘Lucky 13′ B&M retailers only to be advised that the waiting list was 100+ people and available box count so significantly less than a 100. Oh well, their loss. I went to CI event which featured “The Face” and the man himself. $180 + autograph + photograph + conversation = perfect combination !

From Habanos S.A.: Cohiba Behike, the most exclusive línea of the most prestigious Habanos brand, arrived in 2010 to the markets with three new formats: BHK 52, BHK 54 y BHK 56. Its extremely limited production incorporates, for the first time in the blend of its three vitolas, the tobacco leaf called “medio tiempo” that grants it exceptional character and flavor. Each and every one of Cohiba Behike Habanos also incorporates a band with two holograms for security identification.

Although I have a resting 5-pack waiting on standby, I personally have not smoke Cohiba Behike yet. Although I’m a strong believer of ‘every day is a special day‘ attitude, this one will break that rule of thumb for two reasons. First reason: $42 / stick will make most cigar aficionados think twice whether today is The Day. Second reason: most if not all blog reviewers who reviewed Cohiba Behike called for extra resting period. To address both, I will be waiting until 04JUN2011 to sacrifice this special stogie. Why 04JUN2011, check back in few months ! Until then, PUFF ON !

REINADO cigars, product from Antonio Lam, are handmade, premium aged puros exclusively blended to perfection from the rich sought-after tobacco fields of Nicaragua. The REINADO blend distinguishes itself from all others on the market via an original and closely guarded secret fermentation process employing several types of select premium tobacco. While from Cuban seed, the wrapper, binder, and filler are all grown in the lush tropics of Nicaragua. See REINADO website for more details HERE

Antonio and I got in touch via mutual friend, Ruben Abreu, from Ruben’s Smoke Stack in Hackensack, NJ. Delicious and nutritious REINADO cigars that Antonio brought in, become the main object of spontaneously scheduled photo session. Antonio was/is a great guy and I wish him all the best with his current and all upcoming projects !